Reading Book One: The Secret Vampire
by xForbiddenLoveBitesx
Summary: It was just a normal day for Poppy North, that was until she got sent back in time to read a book about herself with sixteen other people who she had never met in her life, but we'll get onto that... Rated T just to be safe. I own nothing in bold. [DISCONTINUED, SORRY GUYS]
1. Chapter 1: Prolouge

Chapter 1: The Prologue:

Poppy was walking along the pavement, peeking sideways glances at her best friend James Rasmussen. He was talking about a new band people at school were animated about, apparently they were the "new best thing", his tone showing his obvious dislike and his forehead creasing into a cute frown. Poppy always noticed the little things about him; the way his eyes shone almost silver in the sunlight, how his eyebrows pinched together when he was angry.

"What?" James suddenly asked, staring at Poppy with a confused expression.

"What what?" Poppy replied watching James's mouth curve upwards ever so slightly at her question.

"You were staring at me" He replied, several emotions flitting like images across his face too fast for Poppy to make sense of them. After what seemed like an age, he sighed and looked into her eyes a mix of agony and warning and whispered her name: "Poppy, I…"

That was when the pair were engulfed in a white blinding light that made Poppy's eyes hurt and her stomach flip.

When the white light subsided they found they were standing in a warehouse that had been made into something that vaguely resembled the interior of a house. Not only that but there were sixteen other people in the room, their expressions ranging from worry and fear to anger and hatred.

**A/N:**

**This is my first story so please don't be too harsh. I didn't think there was enough stories like this one on Fanfiction so I decided to make one myself!**

**Thank you for reading and please review!**

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	2. Chapter 2: Introductions and The Reading

Chapter 2: The Reading

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World", it's characters or plot-lines, all rights go to L.J Smith.**

**I also own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The parts that are in _italics_ are Poppy's thoughts. **

Poppy immediately felt like she should fear at least half the people in the room. Her eyes flickered to each face, gauging their expressions. Straight in front of her was a guy who looked about her age with ash blond hair, glaring at her menacingly then, seeing she was afraid, smiled. Poppy shivered and stepped even closer to James.

"Stop it Ash" James hissed, his tone low and cold. Poppy was too scared to ask how James knew the guy, instead fixing her eyes on James's hoping he knew what she meant.

"Or what, cuz?" Ash sneered, and then suddenly looked in another direction as if someone had said his name, but no one had made a sound. James did the same. Ever so slowly they both got on their knees while someone who Poppy hadn't seen in the gathering of people stepped forward. "You're allowing this?" Ash suddenly spluttered his shock and disgust almost visible.

"Yes, I am" The new voice said, authority ringing clear. He looked about twenty years old but his eyes told a different story, there was so much pain and anguish behind them that they looked a lot older. "It might be important" He said after letting Ash calm down a bit. Out of nowhere a letter fluttered down from the ceiling and landed in front of his feet, Poppy watched as his eyes travelled from side to side, skimming the letter. He cleared his throat and began to read it to us:

_"Dear all,_

_I know this is, for some of you, scary, for some of you boring and for some of you completely weird but I promise it all works out in the end. There are nine books on the table in front of you, they are about you and your thoughts in the future and don't try and change them because it will happen anyway, trust me we've tried. _

_Oh and whatever you do try to stay calm please we're only renting this warehouse._

_Sincerely,_

_You will probably find out_

_P.S Sorry we have no chairs, you'll have to sit on the floor and after this letter has finished being read please introduce yourselves fully."_

"Well, I'm Lord Thierry Descoudres, those of you who don't know why I have the title 'Lord' will probably find out in one of the books, and you are?" He asked, directing the end of his speech at Poppy.

"Poppy North" She replied politely. He nodded turning his attention to James, standing protectively at her side.

"James Rasmussen" He said his voice relaxing a bit as he saw no danger from this Ash person. Poppy would have to ask him about that after they had read the books. _Oh no_ she thought embarrassment and worry curdling her stomach. _These are going to have my thoughts in; James is going to know how I really feel_ she thought her eyes growing wide.

"What?" James asked her, obviously seeing her emotions in her eyes.

"Nothing" She replied, putting on her best poker face. He frowned but let it go. Thierry seemed to smile at their exchange and indicated to the person standing to Poppy's right.

"Mary-Lynette Carter" She said her blue eyes wide with shock, her long brown hair falling out of its ponytail as if her hair was reflecting her mood too.

"Thea Harman" The girl next to Mary-Lynette said her brown eyes contrasting her blonde hair. Poppy noticed several eyebrows rise at Thea's name but put it in a draw to come back to later.

"Eric Ross" The guy after Thea said shyly his sandy coloured hair providing a shield for his face.

"Gillian Lennox" The girl standing next to Eric said her voice small and fragile much like her appearance. But that wasn't the thing that Poppy couldn't stop looking at. It was her eyes: violet. _Can you even get violet eyes? They look kind of scary._

"Hey, can you stop?" The guy next to Gillian said defensively then looked surprised at his own outburst. He looked like your classic athlete, strongly built and tanned. "David Blackburn" He continued.

"Rashel Jordan" The next girl said glaring daggers at everyone her hand twitching at her side where a crude looking weapon hung suspended from her waist. She had a scarf over her face making her words muffled but Poppy saw a wisp of black hair and piercing green eyes.

"Quinn" The guy next to Rashel said not really looking at anyone but throwing a quick grimace at Ash who was wearing a similar expression. His black hair framed his face making his blue eyes seem startling and wrong against their dark backdrop.

"Hannah Snow" The girl next to Quinn said. She had long blonde hair and the same old before their time grey eyes that Thierry wore, who she was currently frowning at. "Do I know you?" She asked doubt colouring her voice. Poppy also noticed a scar running down her cheek, apparently she wasn't the only one fascinated as Thierry was staring too.

Thierry flinched ever so slightly and answered: "No". Hannah frowned but let it go.

"Jez Redfern" The next girl said sporting shockingly red locks and silvery-blue eyes.

"Morgead Blackthorn" The next guy said who had dark hair and gem green eyes which looked almost hungry when directed at her.

"Maggie Neely" The girl to Morgead's right said warm brown eyes searching people's faces just like Poppy her auburn hair making her look like Autumn personified.

"Delos Redfern" The next guy said. _How many Redferns are there? That's three now_ Poppy thought in wonder. _Maybe it's just a popular name. _The guy in question had coal black hair and yellow eyes. **_Yellow_**_? This just keeps getting weirder._

"Raksha Keller" The girl said looking very similar to Rashel with her black hair. She also had a sort of feline gracefulness that was apparent even when she was standing still.

"Galen Drache" The last guy said his hair a shocking gold, his eyes a slightly more subdued version.

"Right, so that's everyone yes?" Thierry asked while everyone nodded their heads, it felt wrong to oppose him even though they had only just met. "I will start with book one, I won't read the back as they give too much away in my opinion" He continued as if this mattered. "Book one: The Secret Vampire" Gasps were heard all around whilst some looked angry that this had been mentioned. Thierry motioned for everyone to stop as he read the first chapter: "Chapter one:

"**It was on the first day of summer vacation that Poppy found out she was going to die**"

Again, gasps were heard all around. James's face was a mask of pure horror and worry. If Poppy hadn't been so scared she would've found it sweet that he cared so much.

"I won't let it happen" James muttered sounding more shaken than Poppy had ever seen him.

**"It happened on Monday, the first ****_real _****day of vacation (the weekend didn't count.) **

**Poppy woke up feeling gloriously weightless and thought, ****_No school. _****Sunlight was streaming in the window, turning the sheer hangings around her bed filmy gold. Poppy pushed them aside and jumped out of bed and winced."**

Like she was now.

"Poppy?" James asked pleading with her as she shut her eyes tight and willed the pain away. "You already have it don't you?" he asked his voice shaking ever so slightly.

_If he's acting like this now, I wonder what he'll do when I die_ Poppy thought idly and answered his question after the pain had subsided. "Yes"

He sighed and squeezed her hand whilst motioning for Thierry to continue.

**"Ouch. That pain in her stomach again. Sort of a gnawing, as if something were eating its way toward her back. It helped a little if she bent over.**

**No, Poppy thought. I refuse to be sick during summer vacation. I ****_refuse._**

**A little power of positive thinking is what's needed here.**

**Grimly, doubled over – think positive, idiot!"**

A ripple of weak laughter passed around the group at this insight into Poppy's mind while James was shaking his head affectionately.

"– **she made her way down the hall to the turquoise-and-gold-tiled bathroom. At first she thought she was going to throw up, but then the pain eased as suddenly as it had come. Poppy straightened and regarded her tousled reflection triumphantly.**

**Stick with me, kid, and you'll be fine,** **she whispered to it, and gave a conspiratorial wink."**

"You're crazy, you know that right?" James said obviously trying to cheer Poppy up. It seemed to work though as Poppy playfully stuck her tongue out him.

**"Then she leaned forward, seeing her own green eyes narrow in suspicion. There on her nose were four freckles. Four and a half, if she were completely honest, which Poppy North usually was. How childish, how- ****_cute! _****Poppy stuck her tongue out at herself and then turned away with great dignity, without bothering to comb the wild coppery curls that clustered over her head.**

**She maintained the dignity until she got to the kitchen, where Phillip, her twin brother, was eating Special K. Then she narrowed her eyes again, this time at him. It was bad enough to be small, slight, and curly-haired- to look, in fact, as much like an elf as anything she'd ever seen sitting on a buttercup in a children's picture book-but to have a twin who was tall, Viking-blond, and classically handsome...well, that just showed a certain deliberate malice in the makeup of the universe, didn't it?**

**"Hello, Phillip" she said in a voice heavy with menace."**

Ash snorted "I highly doubt that's very scary" He said looking bored out of his mind. Poppy was really beginning to hate the guy even though he'd only spoken twice.

**"Phillip, who was used to his sister's moods, was unimpressed."**

"Told you" Ash said sounding slightly smug. Poppy noticed Mary-Lynette frown then glare murderously at him.

"**He lifted his gaze from the comic section of the ****_L. A Times _****for a moment.**

**Poppy had to admit that he had nice eyes: questing green eyes with very dark lashes. They were the only thing the twins had in common.**

**"Hi," Phillip said flatly, and went back to the comics. Not many kids Poppy knew read the newspaper, but that was Phil all over. Like Poppy, he'd been a junior at El Camino High last year, and unlike Poppy, he'd made straight ****_A'_****s while starring on the football team, the hockey team, and the baseball team. Also serving as class president. One of Poppy's greatest joys in life was teasing him. She thought he was too straitlaced.**

**Just now she giggled and shrugged, giving up the menacing look.**

**"Where's Cliff and Mom?" Cliff Hilgard was their stepfather of three years and even straighter-laced then Phil.**

**"Cliff's at work. Mom's getting dressed. You'd better eat something or she'll get on your case."**

**"Yeah, yeah..." Poppy went on tiptoe to rummage through a cupboard. Finding a box of Frosted Flakes, she thrust a hand in and delicately pulled out one flake. She ate it dry.**

**It wasn't ****_all _****bad being short and elfin. She did a few dance steps to the refrigerator, shaking the cereal box in rhythm.**

**"I'm a...sex pixie!" she sang, giving it a foot-stomping rhythm."**

No one could stop the laugh that escaped their lips at this. Poppy was blushing furiously at this and was determined not to look at James, who was laughing along with the others.

**"No, you're not," Phillip said with devastating calm.**

**"And why don't you put some clothes on?"**

**Holding the refrigerator door open, Poppy looked down at herself. She was wearing the oversize T-shirt she'd slept in. It covered her like a minidress."**

Almost all of the girls were muttering: "that _is _clothes" or "over protective brothers" with a sigh.

**"This ****_is _****clothes," she said serenely, taking a Diet Coke from the fridge.**

**There was a knock at the kitchen door. Poppy saw who it was through the screen.**

**"Hi, James! C'mon in."**

"Do I want to hear my description, after the one you gave your family?" James asked teasingly.

Poppy thought about it for a moment and decided that whatever she was going to think would be embarrassing so they might as well read it. She sighed.

**"James Rasmussen came in, taking off his wraparound Ray-Bans. Looking at him, Poppy felt a pang-as always."**

Again several emotions flitted across James's face while some of the girls looked at Poppy, guessing what she was feeling, with sympathetic smiles. Poppy of course turned a brilliant shade of crimson.

**"It didn't matter that she had seen him every day, practically, for the past ten years. She still felt a quick sharp throb in her chest, somewhere between sweetness and pain, when first confronted with him every morning.**

**It wasn't just his outlaw good looks, which always reminded her vaguely of James Dean. He had silky light brown hair, a subtle, intelligent face, and gray eyes that were alternately intense and cool. He was the handsomest boy at El Camino High, but that wasn't it, that wasn't what Poppy responded to. It was something ****_inside _****him, something mysterious and compelling and always just out of reach. It made her heart beat fast and her skin tingle."**

James frowned and turned to Poppy. "You are more observant than I give you credit for."

"Thank you" Poppy replied pleased at the compliment and that he wasn't focusing on her feelings.

"No, Poppy, it's not a good thing" He said and Poppy could see out of the corner of her eye that Thierry was nodding in agreement. However, this just made Poppy confused.

**"Phillip felt differently. As soon as James came in, he stiffened and his face went cold. Electric dislike flashed between the two boys.**

**Then James smiled faintly, as if Phillip's reaction amused him. "Hi."**

**"Hi." Phil said, not thawing in the least. Poppy had the strong sense that he'd like to bundle her up and rush her out of the room.**

**Phillip always overdid the protective-brother bit when James was around. "So how's Jacklyn and Michaela?" he added nastily."**

Poppy frowned, _great __**more **__girls_!

**"James considered. "Well, I don't really know."**

**"You don't ****_know? _****Oh, yeah, you always drop your girlfriends just before summer vacation. Leaves you free to maneuver, right?"**

**"Of course," James said blandly. He smiled.**

Poppy smiled too; pleased she'd have James all to herself over vacation.

**"Poppy, for her part, was seized by joy. Goodbye, Jacklyn; goodbye Michaela. Goodbye to Jacklyn's elegant long legs and Michaela's amazing pneumatic chest.**

**This was going to be a wonderful summer."**

Again Poppy was blushing. When she peeked a glance a James he was smiling at her and shaking his head. Yet again, Poppy was confused.

**"Many people thought Poppy and James's relationship platonic. This wasn't true. Poppy had known for years that she was going to marry him."**

Thankfully everyone let that comment slide.

**"It was one of two great ambitions, the other being to see the world. She just hadn't gotten around to informing James yet. Right now he still thought he liked long-legged girls with salon fingernails in Italian pumps.**

**"Is that a new CD?" she said, to distract him from his stare out with his future brother-in-law.**

**James hefted it. "It's the new Ethno techno release."**

**Poppy cheered. "More Tuva throat singers-I can't wait. Let's go listen to it."**

**But just then her mother walked in. Poppy's mother was cool, blond, and perfect, like an Alfred Hitchcock heroine.**

**She normally wore an expression of effortless efficiency. Poppy, heading out of the kitchen, nearly ran into her.**

**"Sorry-morning!"**

**"Hold on a minute," Poppy's mother said, getting hold of Poppy by the back of her T-shirt. "Good morning, Phil; good morning, James," she added. Phil said good morning and James nodded, ironically polite.**

**"Has everybody had breakfast?" Poppy's mother asked, and when the boys said they had, she looked at her daughter. "And what about you?" she asked, gazing into Poppy's face.**

**Poppy rattled the Frosted Flakes box and her mother winced. "Why don't you at least put milk on them?"**

**"Better this way," Poppy said firmly, but when her mother gave her a little push toward the refrigerator, she went and got a quart carton of low fat milk.**

**"What are you planning to do with your first day of freedom?" her mother said, glancing from James to Poppy.**

**"Oh, I don't know." Poppy looked at James. "Listen to some music; maybe go up to the hills? Or drive to the beach?"**

**"Whatever you want," James said. "We've got all summer."**

**The summer stretched out in front of Poppy, hot and golden and resplendent. It smelled like pool chlorine and sea salt; it felt like warm grass under her back. Three whole months, she thought. That's forever. Three months is forever."**

"No its not" Thierry said shaking his head sadly as if he knew what forever felt like.

**"It was strange that she was actually thinking this when it happened."**

"Oh God" Poppy said burying her face in her hands. James squeezed her hand which he had been holding tightly for the whole chapter.

**"We could check out the new shops at the Village – " she was beginning, when suddenly the pain struck and her breath caught in her throat.**

**It was bad-a deep, twisting burst of agony that made her double over. The milk carton flew from her fingers and everything went gray."**

"That's the end of the chapter" Thierry said looking at Poppy sadly.

**A/N:**

**Wow. I just realized how LONG this chapter is. Sorry. Anyway, whoever is still reading this thanks for your support.**

**Please review!**

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	3. Chapter 3: The Reading of Chapter 2

Chapter 3: The Reading of Chapter 2

**A/N (continued at bottom):**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. **

**All rights go to L.J Smith**

**Nothing in bold is mine apart from the A/Ns. ****_Italics_**** are Poppy's thoughts. **

After a few moments of silence and some sympathetic looks from the less cold-hearted people in the room, Poppy just couldn't take it anymore. She got up from where she was sitting next to James, stalked over to the other side of the room where Thierry was still holding the book and snatched it from his clutches.

"I need to know what happens, okay, I need to prepare" She said, her voice wavering slightly.

"I agree" James said. To anyone who wasn't Poppy it would look from the outside that James was completely calm with the situation but Poppy could see he was struggling to keep his voice level.

Poppy opened the book and began to read again: "Chapter 2:

**"Poppy!" Poppy could hear her mother's voice, but she couldn't see anything. The kitchen floor was obscured by dancing black dots."**

People were throwing worried glances at Poppy, as if this could happen at any moment, which it probably could but Poppy wasn't going to tell anyone that.

**"Poppy, are you all right?" Now Poppy felt her mother's hands grasping her upper arms, holding her anxiously. The pain was easing and her vision was coming back.**

**As she straightened up, she saw James in front of her. His face was almost expressionless, but Poppy knew him well enough to recognize the worry in his eyes."**

Even now, reading about her imminent demise, Poppy felt a surge of joy that James cared so much.

**"He was holding the milk carton, she realized. He must have caught it on the fly as she dropped it-amazing reflexes, Poppy thought vaguely. Really amazing."**

Quinn hissed, properly hissed, like a cat. "You could blow it James, hey, what am I saying? She probably knows already, it would be just like you" he spat out. Then, quicker than Poppy thought was possible; he crossed the room to stand menacingly in front of her. "What do you know?" He asked, his blue eyes turning silver right in front of her eyes.

Poppy gasped, startled confused and scared. James was at her side glaring at Quinn murderously. Over Quinn's shoulder Poppy could see Rashel crouched behind him, the crude looking weapon in front of her, wielding it like a sword.

"I'm the one that's blowing our cover? You're doing a better job of it right now" James said never taking his eyes off the distance between Poppy and Quinn.

"Enough, remember what the letter said, sit down and pay attention." Thierry said, his voice no louder than normal but providing as much authority and menace as a shout. The boys obediently sat down at his instructions, Rashel looking alert and wary as she did.

As Quinn walked away Poppy thought she heard him mutter something like: "Stupid vermin, why are they even here?" _What did that even mean? Did he mean me? I am so confused right now… and that speed, the eyes they're like James's are sometimes when he's angry. Something's going on here, something James won't tell me about. _Poppy left her internal musings to herself and kept reading, even more confused than when she arrived.

**"Phillip was on his feet. "Are you okay? What happened?"**

**"I-don't know." Poppy looked around, then shrugged, embarrassed. Now that she felt better she wished they weren't all staring at her so hard. The way to deal with the pain was to ignore it, to not think about it.**

**It's just this stupid pain-I think its gastrowhatchmacallit. You know something I ate.**

**Poppy's mother gave her daughter the barest fraction of a shake. "Poppy, this is not gastroenteritis. You were having some pain before-nearly a month ago, wasn't it? Is this the same kind of pain?"**

**Poppy squirmed uncomfortably. As a matter of fact, the pain had never really gone away. Somehow, in the excitement of end-of-the-year activities, she'd managed to disregard it, and by now she was used to working around it."**

"I always knew you were putting that on, I thought you would tell me when it got worse" James said. _He was right, the pain was slightly worse now, even after that doctor's trip two weeks ago. Which means that, if they'd left things, this book would have happened in about a week. Oh God _Poppy thought._ Wait, how does James know it's worse now? _Poppy looked at him, going to ask him, when she remembered what had happened the last time she had picked up on something she shouldn't. She decided to put it to the back of her mind.

**"Sort of," she temporized. But that was enough for Poppy's mother.**

**"She gave Poppy a little squeeze and headed for the kitchen telephone. "I know you don't like doctors, but I'm calling Dr. Franklin. I want him to take a look at you. This isn't something we can ignore."**

**"Oh, Mom, it's vacation..."**

"I think this is more important than vacation" Thea and Eric said at the same time. Thea glanced at Eric sitting next to her just as he did; they smiled shyly and looked away.

**"Her mother covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Poppy, this is nonnegotiable. Go get dressed."**

**Poppy groaned, but she could see it was no use. She beckoned to James, who was looking thoughtfully into a middle distance.**

**"Let's at least listen to the CD before I have to go."**

**He glanced at the CD as if he'd forgotten it, and put down the milk carton."**

Maggie snorted. "It's no wonder he forgot it. It's not like his best friend just collapsed in front of him and has to go to the doctor's or anything" She said sarcastically, trying to lift the mood a little. Weak giggles were heard throughout the room.

**"Phillip followed them into the hallway. "Hey, buddy, you wait out here while she gets dressed."**

**James barely turned. "Get a life, Phil," he said almost absently.**

**"Just keep your hands off my sister, you deve."**

**Poppy just shook her head as she went into her room. As if James cared about seeing her undressed.**

James was currently biting his lip and looking… _flustered? Why... Maybe he does care_ Poppy thought. This thought made Poppy blush again. Almost everyone was looking at them and, seeing their expressions, burst into laughter.

**"If only, she thought grimly, pulling a pair of shorts out of a drawer. She stepped into them, still shaking her head. James was her best friend, her very best friend, and she was his. But he'd never shown even the slightest desire to get his hands on her. Sometimes she wondered if he realized she was a girl."**

"Maybe he does but he just doesn't want to show it, to see your reaction." Morgead said speaking for the first time.

"Not you too" Ash complained. "You can't seriously _care_"

"I've decided I'm probably going to be here for quite a while and that, _somehow_ this is all going to matter so yes, I care, it's my life too." Morgead continued. Ash looked disgusted at him for some reason and sighed.

**"Someday I'm going to make him see she thought, and shouted out the door for him.**

**James came in and smiled at her. It was a smile other people rarely saw, not a taunting or ironic grin, but a nice little smile, slightly crooked.**

**"Sorry about the doctor thing," Poppy said.**

**"No. You should go." James gave her a keen glance. "Your mom's right, you know. This has been going on way too long. You've lost weight; it's keeping you up at night-"**

**Poppy looked at him, startled. She hadn't told anybody about how the pain was worse at night, not even James. But sometimes James just knew things. As if he could read her mind."**

Quinn glared at James and hissed again. Poppy saw her look of confusion mirrored on some people's faces around the room. There was something almost _inhuman _about it, something that made your skin prick and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

**"I just know you, that's all," he said, and then gave her a mischievous sideways glance as she stared at him. He unwrapped the CD.**

**Poppy shrugged and flopped on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "Anyway, I wish Mom would let me have one day of vacation," she said. She craned her neck to look at James speculatively. "I wish I had a mom like yours. Mine's always worrying and trying to fix me."**

**"And mine doesn't really care if I come or go. So which is worse?" James said wryly.**

**"Your parents let you have your own apartment."**

**"In a building they own. Because it's cheaper than hiring a manager." James shook his head, his eyes on the CD he was putting in the player. "Don't knock your parents, kid. You're luckier than you know."**

Mary-Lynette, Thea, Rashel, Jez and Keller all nodded at this, knowing what it was like to not have a parent or, in some cases, no parent at all.

**"Poppy thought about that as the CD started. She and James both liked trance-the underground electronic sound that had come from Europe. James liked the techno beat. Poppy loved it because it was real music, raw and unpasteurized, made by people who believed in it. People, who had the passion, not people who had the money.**

**Besides, world music made her feel a part of other places. She loved the differentness of it, the alienness.**

**Come to think of it, maybe that was what she liked about James, too. His differentness."**

"Really?" Thierry asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Umm yeah, why?" Poppy replied slightly confused and also mortified.

"Nothing" Thierry said. "Please continue" He said looking lost in his own thoughts.

**"She tilted her head to look at him as the strange rhythms of Burundi drumming filled the air.**

**She knew James better than anyone, but there was always something, something about him that was closed off to her. Something about him that nobody could reach.**

**Other people took it for arrogance, or coldness, or aloofness, but it wasn't really any of those things. It was just differentness. He was more different than any of the exchange students at school. Time after time, Poppy felt she had almost put her finger on the difference, but it always slipped away. And more than once, especially late at night when they were listening to music or watching the ocean, she'd felt he was about to tell her." **

"I want to tell you Poppy, I really do, but it…" James stopped mid-sentence obviously struggling with what to say. "Would _complicate_ things more than you could ever know" He continued looking deep into her eyes, pleading with her, telling her not to pry.

"Okay" Poppy said. "I always knew it was something you couldn't tell me, so I just deal with it"

**"And she'd always felt that if he did tell her, it would be something important, something as shocking and lovely as having a stray cat speak to her."**

Most people looked at Poppy strangely, questioning her sanity.

"Okay, I'm crazy, that's leave it at that" Poppy said, annoyed while James chuckled beside her.

**"Just now she looked at James, at his clean, carven profile and at the brown waves of hair on his forehead, and thought, He looks sad.**

**"Jamie, nothing's wrong, is it? I mean, at home, or anything?" She was the only person on the planet allowed to call him Jamie. Not even Jacklyn or Michaela had ever tried that.**

**"What could be wrong at home?" he said, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Then he shook his head dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Poppy. It's nothing important-just a relative threatening to visit. An unwanted relative."**

"It's probably me" Ash said smugly.

"For God's sake, would you _shut up_?" Mary-Lynette said angrily, glaring at him. Ash and the people who knew him looked at her, no doubt he hadn't been spoken to like that before and wasn't sure how to react, so did as he was told with a grimace on his face.

**"Then the smile did reach his eyes, glinting there. "Or maybe I'm just worried about you," he said.**

**Poppy started to say, "Oh, as if, "but instead she found herself saying, oddly, "Are you really?"**

James sighed and murmured "Of course, I am Poppy."

**Her seriousness seemed to strike some chord. His smile disappeared, and Poppy found that they were simply looking at each other without any insulating humor between them. Just gazing into each other's eyes. James looked uncertain, almost vulnerable.**

**"Poppy"**

**Poppy swallowed. "Yes?"**

Poppy frowned, just like before they got here.

**"He opened his mouth-and then he got up abruptly and went to adjust her 170-watt Tall-boy speakers.**

**When he turned back, his gray eyes were dark and fathomless.**

**"Sure, if you were really sick, I'd be worried," he said lightly. "That's what friends are for, right?"**

**Poppy deflated. "Right," she said wistfully, and then gave him a determined smile.**

**"But you're not sick," he said. "It's just something you need to get taken care of. The doctor'll probably give you some antibiotics or something-with a big needle," he added wickedly."**

Poppy glared at him while he chuckled.

**"Oh, shut up," Poppy said.**

**He knew she was terrified of injections. Just the thought of a needle entering her skin...**

**"Here comes your mom," James said, glancing at the door, which was ajar. Poppy didn't see how he could hear anybody coming-the music was loud and the hallway was carpeted. But an instant later her mother pushed the door open.**

**"All right, sweetheart," she said briskly. "Dr. Franklin says come right in. I'm sorry, James, but I'm going to have to take Poppy away."**

**"That's okay. I can come back this afternoon."**

**Poppy knew when she was defeated. She allowed her mother to tow her to the garage, ignoring James's miming of someone receiving a large injection."**

Poppy glared again.

**An hour later she was lying on Dr. Franklin's examining table, eyes politely averted as his gentle fingers probed her abdomen. Dr. Franklin was tall, lean, and graying, with the air of a country doctor. Some body you could trust absolutely.**

**"The pain is here?" he said.**

**"Yeah-but it sort of goes into my back. Or maybe I just pulled a muscle back there or something." The gentle, probing fingers moved, then stopped. Dr. Franklin's face changed. And somehow, in that moment, Poppy knew it wasn't a pulled muscle. It wasn't an upset stomach; it wasn't anything simple; and things were about to change forever."**

"Your thoughts are kind of foreshadowing" Gillian said worriedly.

"Yeah" Poppy said worried. Not worried about what it was but the thought of death. She was scared at what would happen and how. She needed to find out.

**"All Dr. Franklin said was, "You know, I'd like to arrange for a test on this."**

**His voice was dry and thoughtful, but panic curled through Poppy anyway. She couldn't explain what was happening inside her-some sort of dreadful premonition, like a black pit opening in the ground in front of her.**

**"Why?" her mother was asking the doctor.**

**"Well." Dr. Franklin smiled and pushed his glasses up. He tapped two fingers on the examining table." Just as part of a process of elimination, really. Poppy says she's been having pain in the upper abdomen, pain that radiates to her back, pain that's worse at night. She's lost her appetite recently, and she's lost weight. And her gallbladder is palpable-that means I can feel that it's enlarged. Now, those are symptoms of a lot of things, and a sonogram will help rule out some of them."**

**Poppy calmed down. She couldn't remember what a gallbladder did but she was pretty sure she didn't need involving an organ with such a silly name couldn't be serious."**

"It's pretty serious for animals" Eric said, his love for animals kicking in. Some people glared at him like, not helping right now, so he shut up before someone punched him.

**"Dr. Franklin was going on, talking about the pancreas and pancreatitis and palpable livers, and Poppy's mother was nodding as if she understood. Poppy didn't understand, but the panic was gone. It was as if a cover had been whisked neatly over the black pit, leaving no sign that it had ever been there.**

**"You can get the sonogram done at Children's Hospital across the street," Dr. Franklin was saying.**

**"Come back here after it's finished."**

**Poppy's mother was nodding, calm, serious, and efficient. Like Phil. Or Cliff. Okay, we'll get this taken care of.**

**Poppy felt just slightly important. Nobody she knew had been to a hospital for tests."**

Cue more crazy looks from almost everyone.

**Her mother ruffled her hair as they walked out of Dr. Franklin's office. "Well, Poppet. What have you done to yourself now?"**

**Poppy smiled impishly. She was fully recovered from her earlier worry. "Maybe I'll have to have an operation and I'll have an interesting scar," she said, to amuse her mother.**

**"Let's hope not," her mother said, unamused.**

**The Suzanne G. Monteforte Children's Hospital was a handsome gray building with sinuous curves and giant picture windows. Poppy looked thoughtfully into the gift shop as they passed. It was clearly a kid's gift shop, full of rainbow Slinkys and stuffed animals that a visiting adult could buy as a last-minute present.**

**A girl came out of the shop. She was a little older than Poppy, maybe seventeen or eighteen. She was pretty, with an expertly made-up face-and a cute bandanna which didn't quite conceal the fact that she had no hair."**

Looks of sympathy were directed at, well, a book.

**"She looked happy, round-cheeked, with earrings dangling jauntily beneath the bandanna-but Poppy felt a stab of sympathy.**

**Sympathy...and fear. That girl was really sick. Which was what hospitals were for, of course-for really sick people. Suddenly Poppy wanted to get her own tests over with and get out of here.**

**The sonogram wasn't painful, but it was vaguely disturbing. A technician smeared some kind of jelly over Poppy's middle, then ran a cold scanner over it, shooting sound waves into her, taking pictures of her insides.**

**Poppy found her mind returning to the pretty girl with no hair.**

**To distract herself, she thought about James."**

"Why would you do that, Poppy?" Hannah asked, smiling mischievously. Poppy blushed and groaned. _This was going to get really embarrassing._ Out of the corner of her eye, Poppy saw Thierry glance at Hannah sadness washing over his face like a tidal wave, disappearing as fast as it appeared.

**"And for some reason what came to mind was the first time she'd seen James, the day he came to kindergarten. He'd been a pale, slight boy with big gray eyes and something subtly weird about him that made the bigger boys start picking on him immediately. On the playground they ganged up on him like hounds around a fox-until Poppy saw what was happening.**

**Even at five she'd had a great right hook. She'd burst into the group, slapping faces and kicking shins until the big boys went running. Then she'd turned to James.**

**"Wanna be friends?"**

Rashel and Keller looked thoughtful.

Rashel said "You're pretty brave, aren't you Poppy?"

"No, I'm really not" Poppy replied wondering why this mattered.

**"After a brief hesitation he'd nodded shyly. There had been something oddly sweet in his smile. But Poppy had soon found that her new friend was strange in small ways. When the class lizard died, he'd picked up the corpse without revulsion and asked Poppy if she wanted to hold it. The teacher had been horrified.**

**He knew where to find dead animals, too-he'd shown her a vacant lot where several rabbit carcasses lay in the tall brown grass. He was matter-of-fact about it."**

Poppy laughed remembering the moment and then turned to James, eyebrows raised. "_I'm_ the crazy one?" She said and giggled when James playfully glared at her.

**"When he got older, the big kids stopped picking on him. He grew up to be as tall as any of them, and surprisingly strong and quick-and he developed a reputation for being tough and dangerous. When he got angry, something almost frightening shone in his gray eyes."**

The same thing Poppy had seen in Quinn's eyes. Now she thought about it some of the people in the room had the same shiny silver in their irises.

**"He never got angry with Poppy, though. They'd remained best friends all these years. When they'd reached junior high, he'd started having girlfriends all the girls at school wanted him but he never kept any of them long. And he never confided in them; to them he was a mysterious, secretive bad boy. Only Poppy saw the other side of him, the vulnerable, caring side."**

"Why?" Mary-Lynette asked James.

James sighed at the question then answered with: "If, by the end, the book doesn't explain, I will"

"Okay, sorry for being nosy" Mary-Lynette said. Poppy was secretly pleased she was being nosy; she'd finally get an answer.

**"Okay," the technician said, bringing Poppy back to the present with a jerk. "You're done; let's wipe this jelly off you."**

**"So what did it show?" Poppy asked, glancing up at the monitor.**

**"Oh, your own doctor will tell you that. The radiologist will read the results and call them over to your doctor's office." The technician's voice was absolutely neutral-so neutral that Poppy looked at her sharply.**

Poppy gasped, it had to be **really** bad. _Of course it's bad; you're going to die from it_ she reasoned.

**"Back in Dr. Franklin's office, Poppy fidgeted while her mother paged through out-of-date magazines.**

**When the nurse said "Mrs. Hilgard," they both stood up.**

**"Uh-no," the nurse said, looking flustered. ", the doctor just wants to see you for a minute-alone."**

**Poppy and her mother looked at each other. Then, slowly, Poppy's mother put down her People magazine and followed the nurse.**

**Poppy stared after her.**

**Now, what on earth . . . Dr. Franklin had never done that before."**

James's hand gripped hers even tighter, if that was even possible.

**"Poppy realized that her heart was beating hard. Not fast, just hard. Bang...bang... bang, in the middle of her chest, shaking her insides. Making her feel unreal and giddy.**

**Don't think about it. It's probably nothing. Read a magazine.**

**But her fingers didn't seem to work properly. When she finally got the magazine open, her eyes ran over the words without delivering them to her brain.**

**What are they talking about in there? What's going on? It's been so long...**

**It kept getting longer. As Poppy waited, she found herself vacillating between two modes of thought. 1) Nothing serious was wrong with her and her mother was going to come out and laugh at her for even imagining there was, and 2) Something awful was wrong with her and she was going to have to go through some dreadful treatment to get well.**

Ash laughed, "I think it's the second one, don't you remember?" He said, referring to the first sentence of the book. Now Poppy really hated the guy and by the looks of it so did almost everyone.

James looked like he was having a hard time staying where he was sat. Poppy squeezed his hand reassuringly; she didn't want to see him get hurt.

**"The covered pit and the open pit. When the pit was covered, it seemed laughable, and she felt embarrassed for having such melodramatic thoughts. But when it was open, she felt as if all her life before this had been a dream, and now she was hitting hard reality at last.**

**I wish I could call James, she thought.**

**At last the nurse said, "Poppy? Come on in."**

**Dr. Franklin's office was wood-paneled, with certificates and diplomas hanging on the walls. Poppy sat down in a leather chair and tried not to be too obvious about scanning her mother's face.**

**Her mother looked...too calm. Calm with strain underneath. She was smiling, but it was an odd, slightly unsteady smile.**

**Oh, God, Poppy thought. Something is going on.**

**"Now, there's no cause for alarm," the doctor said, and immediately Poppy became more alarmed."**

"God, Dr. Franklin, you're meant to be a doctor. Doctors are meant to make you feel better not worse" Poppy said kidding to try and hide her worry. Some laughter was heard at her remark but apparently most were taking these books very seriously.

**"Her palms stuck to the leather of the chair arms.**

**"Something showed up in your sonogram that's a little unusual, and I'd like to do a couple of other tests," Dr. Franklin said, his voice slow and measured, soothing. "One of the tests requires that you fast from midnight the day before you take it. But your mom says you didn't eat breakfast today."**

**Poppy said mechanically, "I ate one Frosted Flake."**

"You know that probably doesn't count in his doctor's book, Poppy" James teased.

"Eh, it was worth a try" Poppy said laughing.

**"One Frosted Flake? Well, I think we can count that as fasting. We'll do the tests today, and I think it's best to admit you to the hospital for them. Now, the tests are called a CAT scan and an ERCP-that's short for something even I can't pronounce." He smiled. Poppy just stared at him.**

**"There's nothing frightening about either of these tests," he said gently. "The CAT scan is like an X ray. The ERCP involves passing a tube down the throat, through the stomach, and into the pancreas. Then we inject into the tube a liquid that will show up on X-rays."**

**His mouth kept moving, but Poppy had stopped hearing the words. She was more frightened than she could remember being in a long time.**

**I was just joking about the interesting scar, she thought. I don't want a real disease. I don't want to go to the hospital, and I don't want any tubes down my throat.**

**She looked at her mother in mute appeal. Her mother took her hand.**

**"It's no big deal, sweetheart. We'll just go home and pack a few things for you; then we'll come back."**

**"I have to go into the hospital today?"**

**"I think that would be best," Dr. Franklin said.**

**Poppy's hand tightened on her mother's. Her mind was a humming blank.**

**When they left the office, her mother said, "Thank you, Owen." Poppy had never heard her call Dr. Franklin by his first name before.**

"Poppy, look at me" James suddenly pleaded. Poppy obeyed, staring into his eyes. "I won't let this happen, I promise" He vowed.

"Jamie" Poppy said softly. "You can't change this you heard the letter, you just have to deal with the fact that… I'm going to die soon" She continued as calmly as she could.

"What if I can't Poppy?" James said his voice shaking.

"If I might say something" Thierry interrupted. "If this book is going in the direction I think it's going you might not have to" He finished smiling at them.

James drew in a ragged breath and motioned for Poppy to continue. Poppy didn't for another few minutes though as her mind was reeling. The look in James's eyes when he said he wouldn't let her go was something she couldn't quite get her head around. _What if…?_

**"Poppy didn't ask why. She didn't say anything as they walked out of the building and got in the car. As they drove home, her mother began to chat about ordinary things in a light, calm voice, and Poppy made herself answer. Pretending that everything was normal, while all the time the terrible sick feeling raged inside her.**

**It was only when they were in her bedroom, packing mystery books and cotton pajamas into a small suitcase, that she asked almost casually, "So what exactly does he think is wrong with me?"**

**Her mother didn't answer immediately. She was looking down at the suitcase. Finally she said, "Well, he's not sure anything is wrong."**

**"But what does he think? He must think something. And he was talking about my pancreas-I mean, it sounds like he thinks there's something wrong with my pancreas. I thought he was looking at my gallbladder or whatever. I didn't even know that my pancreas was involved in this..."**

"Oh Poppy" Was heard from some of the girls around the room obviously knowing Poppy was more scared than she let on.

**"Sweetheart." Her mother took her by the shoulders, and Poppy realized she was getting a little over wrought. She took a deep breath.**

**"I just want to know the truth, okay? I just want to have some idea of what's going on. It's my body, and I've got a right to know what they're looking for-don't I?"**

**It was a brave speech, and she didn't mean any of it. What she really wanted was reassurance, a promise that Dr. Franklin was looking for something trivial. That the worst that could happen wouldn't be so bad. She didn't get it.**

**"Yes, you do have a right to know." Her mother let a long breath out, then spoke slowly. "Poppy, Dr. Franklin was concerned about your pancreas all along. Apparently things can happen in the pancreas that cause changes in other organs, like the gallbladder and liver. When Dr. Franklin felt those changes, he decided to check things out with a sonogram."**

**Poppy swallowed. "And he said the sonogram was-unusual. How unusual?"**

**"Poppy, this is all preliminary..." Her mother saw her face and sighed. She went on reluctantly." The sonogram showed that there might be something in your pancreas. Something that shouldn't be there. That's why Dr. Franklin wants the other tests; they'll tell us for sure. But-"**

**"Something that shouldn't be there? You mean ... like a tumor? Like ...cancer?" Strange, it was hard to say the words.**

**Her mother nodded once. "Yes. Like cancer."**

"I have cancer?" Poppy asked and, before she really knew what she was doing, burst into tears.

"Poppy" James said soothingly and wrapped his arms round her shoulders pulling her into the comforting circle they made. He held her like that until she had stopped crying.

When she was sitting back in her place, Mary-Lynette, Thea, Gillian, Hannah and Maggie got up and gave her a hug.

"I know you don't really know us, so this is kinda weird but you looked like you needed it" Gillian said and smiled a friendly smile. Poppy knew she'd be friends with these people, at least.

"Thank you" Poppy said, smiling at all of them in return.

Jez made a disgusted noise from across the room. "It's bad enough I have to sit here listening to this, now you've added this mushy stuff" She said flipping her red hair as she spoke.

"That was the end of the chapter" Poppy said ignoring the comment.

**A/N:**

**Again, a long chapter! Wow, I can't believe I finished and updated this so fast! Thank you for reading, please review. **

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	4. Chapter 4: The Reading of Chapter 3

Chapter 4: The Reading of Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. All rights go to L. J Smith. **

**I own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The things in _italics_ are Poppy's thoughts.**

"I'll read next" James said. "Chapter 3:

"**All Poppy could think of was the pretty bald girl in the gift shop.**

**Cancer.**

**"But-but they can do something about it, can't** **they?" she said, and even to her own ears her voice** **sounded very young. "I mean-if they had to, they** **could take my pancreas** **out..."**

"Can they?" Poppy asked. After seeing the sympathetic looks most people gave her she decided she probably already knew the answer, no.

"**Oh, sweetheart, **_**of course." **_**Poppy's mother took Poppy in her arms. "I promise you; if there's something wrong, we'll do anything and everything to fix it. I'd go to the ends of the earth to make you well. **_**You know**_** that. And at this point we aren't even sure that there **_**is**_** something wrong. Dr. Franklin said that it's extremely rare for teenagers to get a tumor in the pancreas. Extremely rare. So let's not worry about things until we have to."**

**Poppy felt herself relax; the pit was covered again. But somewhere near her core she still felt cold."**

"I'm probably not completely convinced with that, even if she has calmed me down" Poppy said sadly, she would miss her mother comforting her when she was sad. She sighed and let James continue.

**"I have** **to call James."**

"I doubt I'm going to take this lightly" James said. "At least it's in Poppy's point of view" He added sounding relieved.

"**Her mother nodded. "Just make it quick."**

**Poppy kept her fingers crossed as she dialed** **James's apartment. Please be there, please** _**be**_ **there, she thought. And for once, he was. He answered laconically, but as soon as he heard her voice, he said, "What's wrong?"**

"I love how you two are so in-tune with each-other" Hannah said, smiling at them.

"All apart from _one _emotion" Poppy said annoyed and slightly angry. She mentally cursed herself when everyone started laughing. "I said that out loud didn't I?" She asked. Mary-Lynette nodded. Poppy blushed.

**"Nothing-well, everything. Maybe." Poppy heard** **herself give a wild sort of laugh. It wasn't exactly** **a laugh.**

"**What happened?" James said sharply. "Did you have a fight with Cliff?"**

"Why was that the first thing you thought of? You know she went to the doctors" Gillian asked.

"Well I don't know exactly because it hasn't happened yet but it probably has something to do with the fact that I won't want to believe she's ill, however severe" James answered.

"Okay, thanks" Gillian said.

"You know anyone who asks me a question gets a question back when it's their book?" James asked then laughed at the people in question's faces and continued reading.

**"No. Cliff's at the office. And I'm going into the** **hospital."**

**"Why?"**

**"They think I might have cancer."**

**It was a tremendous relief to say it, a sort of emotional release. Poppy laughed again. Silence on the other end of the line. "Hello?"**

"Oh Jamie" Poppy said. "Please don't be sad, I'm still around for a little while longer at least" She continued. James did the same thing he did when Poppy was crying earlier. He kept holding onto her as if thinking someone would contradict her sentence. Finally he let go to start reading again.

**"I'm here," James said. Then he said, "I'm coming over."**

**"No, there's no point. I've got to leave in a minute." She waited for him to say that he'd come and see her in the hospital, but he didn't.**

"I probably wouldn't be able to stand it" James said, before anyone could ask.

**"James, would you do something for me? Would** **you find out whatever you can about cancer in the** **pancreas? Just in case."**

**"Is that what they think you have?"**

**"They don't know for sure. They're giving me some tests. I just hope they don't have to use any needles." Another laugh, but inside she was reeling.**

**She wished James would say something comforting. "I'll see what I can find on the Net." His voice was unemotional, almost expressionless.**

**"And then you can tell me later-they'll probably** **let you call me at the hospital."**

**"Yeah."**

**"Okay, I have to go. My mom's waiting" **

**"Take care of yourself."**

**Poppy hung up, feeling empty. Her mother was** **standing in the doorway. "Come on, Poppet. Let's go."**

"Now the results" Jez said in an ominous voice, and then laughed. James glared at her and squeezed Poppy's hand.

"**James sat very still, looking at the phone without** **seeing it."**

"Oh great" James said sarcastically.

"I guess the next part's going to be in your point of view?" Poppy said.

"Looks like it" James said.

_Yes _Poppy thought, all but screaming in joy.

"**She was scared, and he couldn't help her. He'd never been very good at inspirational small talk. It wasn't, he thought grimly, in his nature."**

"Damn right its not" Ash said sharing an almost proud smile with Quinn, Morgead and Jez.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Mary-Lynette said angrily. Ash glared back at her with enough menace to scare a lion.

Mary-Lynette however did not look fazed, not in the slightest. "I'm not scared of arrogant, obnoxious bullies" She said venomously and motioned for James to continue.

"**To give comfort you had to have a comfortable** **view of the world. And James had seen too much of** **the world to have any illusions.**

**He could deal with cold facts, though. Pushing** **aside a pile of assorted clutter, he turned on his laptop and dialed up the Internet.**

**Within minutes he was using Gopher to search the** **National Cancer Institute's CancerNet. The first file** **he found was listed as "Pancreatic cancer-Patient."** **He scanned it. Stuff about what the pancreas did,** **stages** **of the disease, treatments. Nothing too gruesome."**

"That's just the patient article" Thea said sounding as worried as Poppy felt.

"**Then he went into "Pancreatic cancer Physician- a file meant for doctors. The first line held him paralyzed.**

_**Cancer of the exocrine pancreas is rarely curable."**_

Mary-Lynette, Thea, Gillian, Hannah and Maggie all gasped. The guys had concerned looks on their faces.

"Guys" Poppy addressed them. "We already knew this"

"We know" Eric said. "It's still kinda hard to deal with" Poppy knew exactly what he meant.

"**His eyes skimmed down the lines.** _**Overall survival rate ... metastasis ... poor response to chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery ... pain ...**_

**Pain. Poppy was brave, but facing constant pain** **would crush anyone. Especially when the outlook for** **the future was so bleak.**

**He looked at the top of the article again. Overall** **survival rate less than three percent. If the cancer had spread, less than one percent.**

**There must be more information. James went searching again and came up with several articles from newspapers and medical journals. They were even worse than the NCI file.**

_**The overwhelming majority of patients will die, and die**_ _**swiftly, experts**_ _**say... Pancreatic cancer is usually inoperable, rapid, and debilitatingly painful... The average survival if the cancer has spread can be three weeks to three months...**_

**Three weeks to three months.**

**James stared at the laptop's screen. His chest and throat felt tight; his vision was blurry. He tried to control it, telling himself that nothing was certain yet. Poppy was being tested, that didn't mean she _had_ cancer."**

"See" James suddenly said. "Even though I _know_ it can't be good, I still don't want to believe"

"**But the words rang hollow in his mind. He had known for some time that something was wrong** **with Poppy. Something was-disturbed-inside her.** **He'd sensed that the rhythms of her body were** **slightly off; he could tell she was losing sleep. And** **the pain-he always knew when the pain was there.** **He just hadn't realized how serious it was.**

**Poppy knows, too, he thought. Deep down, she knows that something very bad is going on, or she** **wouldn't have asked me to find this out. But what does she expect me to do, walk in and tell her she's going to die in a few months?**

**And am I supposed to stand around and watch it?**

**His lips pulled back from his teeth slightly. Not a** **nice smile, more of a savage grimace. He'd seen a lot of death in seventeen years. He knew the stages of dying, knew the difference between the moment breathing stopped and the moment the brain turned off; knew the unmistakable ghostlike pallor of a fresh corpse. The way the eyeballs flattened out about five minutes after expiration. Now, that was a detail most people weren't familiar with. Five minutes after you die, your eyes go flat and filmy gray. And then your body starts to shrink. You actually get smaller."**

"Do we want to know how you know that?" Galen asked looking warily at James.

"No" James replied pain crossing his face.

"**Poppy was so small already."**

"Not that it's a bad thing" James said defending himself after seeing Poppy's steely glare.

"**He'd always been afraid of hurting her. She looked** **so fragile, and he could hurt somebody much stronger if he wasn't careful. That was one reason he kept a certain distance between them."**

"But that's…" Poppy started to protest but James put a finger to her lips.

"There's more" He said looking…_anxious? _

"**One reason. Not the main one."**

Poppy frowned.

"**The other was something he couldn't put into** **words, not even to himself. It brought him right up to the edge of the forbidden. To face rules that had been ingrained in him since birth.**

**None of the Night People could fall in love with a** **human. The sentence for breaking the law was death."**

Poppy gasped. The emotions in the room now were even more mixed. The cold-hearted people looked beyond furious, glaring at James. The rest of girls in the room didn't look all that surprised but smiled warmly. But Poppy didn't really care what they thought in that moment or what the Night People were, she had to know one thing.

"What kind of love?" She dared to ask. After she asked it, she turned her whole body towards James in an attempt to drink in his words and expression, whatever he said.

James looked up from his fixed gaze directed at the book and stared into her eyes with a look that said more than words ever could. "I think you know" He replied. Poppy's heart soared choking her words and bringing traitorous tears to her eyes. He _loved _her.

All hell broke loose.

Quinn, Ash, Jez, Morgead and Delos looked ready to murder James and Poppy had a feeling they knew how. Most of the girls in the room were squealing or voicing their equivalent. Rashel looked disgusted at James.

Thierry looked sad.

_He always looks sad_ Poppy observed _I wonder why?_

She saw him turn his attention to a squealing Hannah and the pain and sadness was stronger than ever in his expression. _Maybe he does know her…_

Poppy's thoughts were interrupted by the person in question's shout. "We will deal with this later" He addressed the group but mostly the furious ones. "Please continue" He said to James.

"**It didn't matter. He knew what he had to do now. Where he had to go.**

**Cold and precise, James logged off the Net. He stood, picked up his sunglasses, slid them into place. Went out into the merciless June sunlight, slamming his apartment door behind him.**

**Poppy looked around the hospital room unhappily."**

"Oh yay!" Poppy said sarcastically, still shocked about James's confession.

James chuckled then said. "I'm glad it's not still on my point of view because I have a feeling I know where I'm going to go"

"Where?" Delos asked. Everyone looked at him in astonishment. "Same thing Morgead said" He continued in reply to the stares.

James smiled mysteriously and said "You might find out" Then continued to read.

"**There was nothing so awful about it, except that it was too cold, but ... it was a hospital. That was the truth behind the pretty pink-and-blue curtains and the dosed-circuit TV and the dinner menu decorated with cartoon characters. It was a place you didn't come unless you were Pretty Darn Sick.**

**Oh, come on, she told herself. Cheer up a little. What happened to the power of Poppytive thinking? Where's Poppyanna when you need her? Where's Mary Poppy-ins?"**

"Now we know why you're never scared, it's all down to Poppyanna" James said his words drowning in laughter.

"Shut up" Poppy said and socked him in the arm. When she tried to pull her arm back James grabbed her wrist and brought it over to his other side, dragging her body towards him. He stopped when she was inches away and rubbed circles into her palm. Poppy's mind was jumbled not a single thought was logical. He must've been doing this for about a minute before someone cleared their throat. Poppy looked to see it was Hannah, a big grin plastered on her face.

"This is amazingly cute n'all but we probably need to finish this book" She said smirking. James dropped Poppy's hand but didn't move away and picked up the book off the floor.

"**God, I'm even making myself gag, she thought.**

**But she found herself smiling faintly, with self-deprecating humor if nothing else. And the nurses were nice here, and the bed was extremely cool. It had a remote control on the side that bent it into every imaginable position."**

"Speaking of beds and sleeping" Mary-Lynette said. "What are we going to do?" She asked.

A piece of paper fluttered down from the ceiling and into Thierry's lap.

"_Dear all"_ He read.

"_I can't believe I forgot to tell you this. Time has been suspended where you are, those of you who don't know how, don't ask. This means that you won't have night times so we also delayed your sleeping so you don't get tired. As for food there is a kitchen through the hallway. I advise you not to eat until James has told Poppy his secret in the book. You will see._

_Sincerely,_

_Your anonymous messenger" _

"Okay thanks anonymous messenger" Maggie said.

_What did it mean about not eating until after James has told me something?_ Poppy thought. _That's just weird._

"**Her mother came in while she was playing with it.**

**"I got hold of Cliff; he'll be here later. Meanwhile, I think you'd better change so you're ready for the tests."**

**Poppy looked at the blue-and-white striped seer sucker hospital robe and felt a painful spasm that seemed to reach from her stomach to her back. And something in the deepest part of her said Please, not yet. I'll never be ready."**

James squeezed her hand. The girls got up again and gave her a hug.

"**James walked around to the back of the building."**

The James in the room groaned and then started laughing with everyone else.

"**There, among the freight entrances of the stores in front, was one door unmarked by graffiti. The sign above it had no words. Just a picture of a black flower.**

**A black iris."**

"Well that's it" Quinn said angrily. "We're gonna be exposed"

"Maybe it's a good thing, Quinn don't be so _stone age_" James said smirking as he said the last two words. Quinn looked furious for some reason. Thea nodded her head in agreement.

"James is right, just deal with it Quinn" Thierry said, bringing the discussion to an end.

"**James knocked. The door opened two inches, and a skinny kid in a wrinkled T-shirt peered out with beady eyes.**

**"It's me, Ulf," James said, resisting the temptation to kick the door in. Werewolves, he thought. Why do they have to be so territorial?"**

Poppy gasped along with a few others. _Werewolves? Something James can't tell me… Could it be…?_

"**The door opened just enough to let James in. The skinny kid glanced suspiciously outside before shutting it again.**

"**Go mark a fire hydrant or something" James suggested over his shoulder."**

Keller growled from her side of the room. "Is that what you think of shapeshifters too, James?"

"No, I just don't like the way Werewolves are" James replied, looking slightly scared.

"Good" Keller said and flipped her coal black hair over her shoulder. Galen looked strangely mesmerized before shaking himself out of it and turning his attention to anything but Keller. Meanwhile Poppy was just thinking shapeshifter over and over in her mind, trying to make sense of it.

"**The place looked like a small cafe. A darkened room with little round tables crammed in side by side, surrounded by wooden chairs. There were a few scattered people sitting down, all of them looking like teenagers. Two guys were playing pool in the back.**

**James went over to one of the round tables where a girl was sitting. He took off his sunglasses and sat down.**

**"Hi, Giséle."**

Poppy frowned. _Another girl? _She thought, all speculations about Werewolves and shapeshifters forgotten. _I bet she's really pretty._

"**The girl looked up. She had dark hair and blue eyes. Slanted, mysterious eyes which seemed to be outlined in black eyeliner – ancient-Egyptian style."**

_Said so_ Poppy thought.

"**She looked like a witch, which was no coincidence."**

_Witches too…? Mmm. _Poppy's thoughts trailed off, turning her attention back to the book which would surely bring her answers.

"**James. I've missed you" Her voice was soft and husky. "How's it going these days?" She cupped her hands around the unlit candle on the table and made a quick motion as if releasing a captive bird. As her hands moved away, the candle wick burst into flame."**

"Wow" Gillian said, voicing most thoughts around the room. "That would be so cool." Poppy saw Thea smile slightly.

"**Still as gorgeous as ever." She said, smiling at in the dancing golden light.**

"**That goes for you, too"**

Poppy glared at nothing in particular.

"**But the truth is, I'm here on business."**

**She arched an eyebrow. "Aren't you always?"**

"**This is different. I want to ask your… professional opinion on something."**

**She spread her slender hands, silver fingernails glowing in the candle's flame. On her index finger was a ring with a black dahlia. "My powers are at your disposal. Is there someone you want cursed? Or maybe you want to attract good luck or prosperity. I know you can't need a love charm."**

"**I want a spell – to cure a disease. I don't know if it needs to be specific to the disease, or if something more general would work. A – general health spell." **

"**James" She chuckled lazily and put a hand on his, stroking lightly. "You're really worked up aren't you? I've never seen you like this."**

Poppy's feelings of jealousy were pushed aside at that, being replaced with a warm feeling she had come to recognize.

"**It was true; he was experiencing a major loss of control, he worked against into perfect stillness. **

"**What particular disease are we talking about?" Giséle asked, when he didn't speak again.**

"**Cancer"**

**Giséle threw back her head and laughed. "You're telling me your kind can get cancer? Eat and breathe all you want, but don't try to convince me the lamia get human diseases."**

**This was the hard part. James said quietly, "The person with the disease isn't my kind. She's not your kind, either. She's human." **

**Giséle's smile disappeared. Her voice was no longer husky or lazy as she said, "An outsider? _Vermin_? Are you crazy, James?" **

"Hey, I may be human but I'm not _vermin_" Poppy said indignantly. She was still confused as to why someone would call her vermin but she knew it couldn't be good.

"**She doesn't know anything about me or the Night World. I don't want to break any laws. I just want her well."**

**The slanted blue eyes were searching his face. "Are you sure you haven't broken the laws already?" And when James looked determined not to understand this, she added in a lowered voice, "Are you sure you're not in love with her?"**

The warm feeling grew stronger inside Poppy at this reminder.

"**James made himself meet the probing gaze directly. He spoke softly and dangerously. "Don't say that unless you want a fight."**

"Finally" Jez said, "Some action"

Morgead chuckled beside her.

**Giséle looked away. She played with her ring. The candle flame dwindled and died.**

**"James, I've known you for a long time," she said without looking up. "I don't want to get you in trouble. I believe you when you say you haven't broken any laws-but I think we'd both better forget this conversation. Just walk out now and I'll pretend it never happened."**

**"And the spell?"**

**"There's no such thing. And if there was, I wouldn't help you. Just go."**

Poppy saw James glance at Thea. She shook her head sadly. _What was that all about…? _James started to read again.

"**James went. There was one other possibility that he could think of. He drove to Brentwood, to an area that was as different from the last as a diamond is from coal. He parked in a covered carport by a quaint adobe building with a fountain. Red and purple bougainvillea climbed up the walls to the Spanish tile on the roof.**

**Walking through an archway into a courtyard, he came to an office with gold letters on the door. Jasper R. Rasmussen, Ph.D. His father was a psychologist.**

**Before he could reach for the handle, the door opened and a woman came out. She was like most of his father's clients, forty-something, obviously rich, wearing a designer jogging suit and high-heeled sandals.**

**She looked a little dazed and dreamy, and there were two small, rapidly healing puncture wounds on her neck."**

"Ohmigod, Ohmigod, Ohmigod" Poppy chanted, the light bulb pinging in her head. _How could I have been so stupid? Why didn't I realize?_

"Wait, you're stupid because you didn't _realize_?" James asked incredulously.

"How did you… oh, you can read my mind." Another realization hit Poppy.

"Yeah" James said softly.

"So you're a vampire?" She asked.

"Yeah" James replied again softly.

Poppy took a deep breath. "Okay" She said, meaning it, she was okay with it. She had always known there was something different about him, this was it. She didn't feel scared or worried but… complete. James had shared his deepest secret with her and she had a feeling he was going to in the book too.

Quinn, Ash, Jez, Morgead and Delos still looked like they could kill him. Some people in the room looked shocked for the most part as they wondered who in the room was actually human.

"We won't tell you what we are until it is said in the book, okay" Thierry said to the group, making it quite clear he wasn't.

"**James went into the office. There was a waiting room, but no receptionist. Strains of Mozart came from the inner office. James knocked on the door.**

**"Dad?"**

**The door opened to reveal a handsome man with dark hair. He was wearing a perfectly tailored gray suit and a shirt with French cuffs. He had an aura of power and purpose.**

**But not of warmth. He said, "What is it, James?" in the same voice he used for his clients: thoughtful, deliberate, confident.**

**"Do you have a minute?"**

**His father glanced at his Rolex. "As a matter of fact, my next patient won't be here for half an hour."**

**"There's something I need to talk about."**

**His father looked at him keenly, then gestured to an overstuffed chair. James eased into it, but found himself pulling forward to sit on the edge.**

**"What's on your mind?"**

**James searched for the right words. Everything depended on whether he could make his father understand. But what were the right words? At last he settled for bluntness.**

**"It's Poppy. She's been sick for a while, and now they think she has cancer."**

**Dr. Rasmussen looked surprised. "I'm sorry to hear that." But there was no sorrow in his voice."**

"Hmph, I always thought your Dad liked me" Poppy teased with James. James laughed but the laugh was devoid of all humor, tainting the sound in darkness.

"**"And it's a bad cancer. It's incredibly painful and just about one hundred percent incurable."**

**"That's a pity." Again there was nothing but mild surprise in his father's voice. And suddenly James knew where that came from. It wasn't surprise that Poppy was sick; it was surprise that James had made a trip just to tell him this.**

**"Dad, if she's got this cancer, she's dying. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"**

**Dr. Rasmussen steepled his fingers and stared into the ruddy gloss of his mahogany desk. He spoke slowly and steadily. "James, we've been through this before. You know that your mother and I are worried about you getting too dose to Poppy. Too . . . attached ... to her."**

**James felt a surge of cold rage. "Like I got too attached to Miss Emma?"**

**His father didn't blink. "Something like that."**

James winced as he read Miss Emma's name. _I wonder what that's about? It looks like a painful subject though, so I won't ask. _Poppy thought. James smiled gratefully at her. _What…? Oh reading minds thing. That means he heard… Oh God. _James laughed nodding. Poppy groaned and put her head in her hands. "Just carry on reading" She said, her voice muffled.

"**James fought the pictures that wanted to form in his mind. He couldn't think about Miss Emma now; he needed to be detached. That was the only way to convince his father.**

**"Dad, what I'm trying to say is that I've known Poppy just about all my life. She's useful to me."**

**"How? Not in the obvious way. You've never fed on her, have you?"**

**James swallowed, feeling nauseated. Feed on Poppy? Use her like that? Even the thought of it made him sick."**

Poppy smiled at him, "Thank you" She said smiling. He smiled back, laughter still hinted at the corners of his mouth.

**"Dad, she's my friend," he said, abandoning any pretense of objectivity. "I can't just watch her suffer. I can't. I have to do something about it."**

**His father's face cleared. "I see."**

**James felt dizzy with astonished relief. "You understand?"**

**"James, at times one can't help a certain feeling of . . . compassion for humans. In general, I wouldn't encourage it-but you have known Poppy a long while. You feel pity for her suffering. If you want to make that suffering shorter, then, yes, I understand."**

**The relief crashed down around James. He stared at his father for a few seconds, then said softly, "Mercy killing? I thought the Elders had put a ban on deaths in this area."**

**"Just be reasonably discreet about it. As long as it seems to be natural, we'll all look the other way. There won't be any reason to call in the Elders."**

**There was a metallic taste in James's mouth. He stood and laughed shortly. "Thanks, Dad. You've really helped a lot."**

**His father didn't seem to hear the sarcasm. "Glad to do it, James. By the way, how are things at the apartments?"**

**"Fine," James said emptily.**

**"And at school?"**

**"School's over, Dad," James said, and let himself out.**

**In the courtyard he leaned against an adobe wall and stared at the splashing water of the fountain.**

**He was out of options. Out of hope. The laws of the Night World said so.**

**If Poppy had the disease, she would die from it."**

"Oh great" Poppy said sarcastically.

**A/N:**

**Sorry this took so long to write and get updated. Thank you, you patient people!**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! The people who aren't a Fanfiction member, here is your thanks:**

**Thank you to Guest Amy. The answer is yes, hopefully! **

**Thank you to Laura, I know you're reading this! (She's a friend)**

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	5. Chapter 5: The Reading of Chapter 4

Chapter 5: The Reading of Chapter 4

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. **

**All rights go to L.J Smith. **

**I own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The things in _italics_ are Poppy's thoughts. **

Poppy sighed. "Can someone read please?"

"I will" Mary-Lynette said taking the book from James, who is sat beside her. "Chapter 4:

"**Poppy was staring without appetite at a dinner tray of chicken nuggets and french fries when Dr. Franklin came in the room.**

**The tests were over. The CAT scan had been all** **right, if claustrophobic, but the ERCP had been** **awful. Poppy could still feel the ghost of the tube in her throat every time she swallowed."**

Poppy shivered at this.

**"You're leaving all this great hospital food," Dr. Franklin said with gentle humor. Poppy managed a smile for him.**

**He went on talking about innocuous things. He didn't say anything about the test results, and Poppy had no idea when they were supposed to come in. She was suspicious of Dr. Franklin, though. Something about him, the gentle way he patted her foot under the blanket or the shadows around his eyes..."**

Poppy shared a worried glance with James who squeezed her hand comfortingly. Somehow, that made everything better.

"**When he casually suggested that Poppy's mother** **might want to "come for a little walk down the hall,"** **Poppy's suspicion** **crystallized.**

**He's going to tell her. He's got the results, but he** **doesn't want me to know.**

**Her plan was made in the same instant. She yawned and said, "Go on, Mom; I'm a little bit sleepy." Then she lay back and shut her eyes.**

**As soon as they were gone, she got off the bed. She** **watched their retreating backs as they went down the hall into another doorway. Then, in her stocking feet,** **she quietly followed them."**

Laughs were heard around the room at Poppy's attempt at being sneaky.

"**She was delayed for several minutes at the nursing station. "Just stretching my legs," she said to a nurse who looked inquiringly at her, and she pretended to be walking at random. When the nurse picked up a clipboard and went into one of the patient's rooms, Poppy hurried on down the corridor."**

"You're really devious aren't you Poppy?" Rashel suddenly asked.

"I'm not normally like this but I suppose so, yeah" Poppy answered wondering why she kept asking these kinds of questions. Rashel just nodded and motioned for Mary-Lynette to continue.

"**The room at the end was the waiting room-she'd seen it earlier. It had a TV and a complete kitchen setup so relatives could hang out in comfort. The door was ajar and Poppy approached it stealthily. She could hear the low rumble of Dr. Franklin's voice, but she couldn't hear what he was saying."**

"Argh" Poppy exclaimed. "Come _on._" She felt the sudden urge to cry. Poppy resisted, focusing on James's face to stop her eyes overflowing.

"You can, you know" James said, reaching over to stroke her cheeks, as if she was crying. Poppy just smiled recognizing the worry in his eyes and held his hand where it rested on her cheek.

"**Very cautiously Poppy edged loser. She chanced one look around the door.**

**She saw at once that there was no need for caution. Everyone in that room was completely occupied.**

**Dr. Franklin was sitting on one of the couches. Beside him was an African-American woman with glasses on a chain around her neck. She was wearing the white coat of a doctor.**

**On the other couch was Poppy's stepfather, Cliff. His normally perfect dark hair was slightly mussed, his rock-steady jaw was working. He had his arm around her mother. Dr. Franklin was talking to both of them, his hand on her mother's shoulder.**

**And Poppy's mother was sobbing.**

**Poppy pulled back from the doorway.**

**Oh, my God. I've got it."**

Poppy tried not to show just how much this affected her. James of course, ever in tune with her emotions, sensed this and pulled her by the waist so she was even closer to him. This simple gesture warmed Poppy's heart and made her want to cry again, but for a very different reason.

"Oh god" Hannah breathed. She looked really sad, no scratch that, distraught. _I haven't even known her that long_ Poppy thought. _Yet I'm still closer to her than most of my friends, Mary-Lynette, Thea, Gillian and Maggie too. I think this whole experience is going to make me some new friends _she thought happily, smiling.

Mar-Lynette sent a questioning look at Poppy but turned to James. "What's she thinking about?" She asked him. James glanced sideways at Poppy asking a silent question. She shrugged; they were reading her thoughts in the book, so it didn't really matter.

"She was thinking that, although she's only known you, Hannah, Thea, Gillian and Maggie for a little while she still regards you guys as her friends." James said.

That earned Poppy an ear-to-ear beam from the people in question. Poppy smiled back warmly.

"Ugh" Jez said, disgusted. "More mushy stuff." The comment was ignored as Mary-Lynette started to read again.

"**She'd never seen her mother cry before. Not when Poppy's grandmother had died, not during the divorce from Poppy's father. Her mother's specialty was coping with things; she was the best coper Poppy had ever known.**

**But now ...**

**I've got it. I've definitely got it.**

**Still, maybe it wasn't so bad. Her mom was shocked, okay, that was natural. But it didn't mean that Poppy was going to die or anything. **

**Poppy had all of modem medicine on her side.**

**She kept telling herself this as she edged away from the waiting room.**

**She didn't edge fast enough, though. Before she got out of earshot, she heard her mother's voice, raised in something like anguish.**

**"My baby. Oh, my little girl."**

**Poppy froze.**

**And then Cliff, loud and angry: "You're trying to tell me there's nothing?"**

**Poppy couldn't feel her own breathing. Against her will, she moved back to the door.**

**"Dr. Loftus is an oncologist; an expert on this sort of cancer. She can explain better than I can," Dr. Franklin was saying.**

**Then a new voice came-the other doctor. At first Poppy could only catch scattered phrases that didn't seem to mean anything: adenocarcinoma, splenic venous occlusion, Stage Three. Medical jargon. Then Dr. Loftus said, "To put it simply, the problem is that the tumor has spread. It's spread to the liver and the lymph nodes around the pancreas. That means it's unresectable-we can't operate."**

Poppy felt surprisingly relieved. "I don't think I'd want them to operate anyway, I'd be too scared."

"**Cliff said, "But chemotherapy ..."**

**"We might try a combination of radiation and chemotherapy with something called 5-fluorouracil. We've had some results with that. But I won't mislead you. At best it may improve her survival time by a few weeks. At this point, we're looking at palliative measures-ways to reduce her pain and improve the quality of the time she has left. Do you understand?"**

**Poppy could hear choking sobs from her mother, but she couldn't seem to move. She felt as if she were listening to some play on the radio. As if it had nothing to do with her.**

**Dr. Franklin said, "There are some research protocols right here in southern California. They're experimenting with immunotherapy and cryogenic surgery. Again, we're talking about palliation rather than a cure-"**

**"Damn it!" Cliff's voice was explosive. "You're talking about a little girl! How did this get to-to Stage Three-without anybody noticing? This kid was dancing all night two days ago."**

"I noticed" James said quietly a hint of guilt in his tone.

"Stop it James" Poppy said sternly. "There's nothing you can do, okay?" She continued leaning into James's side, resting her head on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

**"Mr. Hilgard, I'm sorry," Dr. Loftus said so softly that Poppy could barely pick up the words. "This kind of cancer is called a silent disease, because there are very few symptoms until it's very far advanced. That's why the survival rate is so low. And I have to tell you that Poppy is only the second teenager I've seen with this kind of tumor. Dr. Franklin made an extremely acute diagnosis when he decided to send her in for testing."**

"See Jamie?" Poppy said. "If you had done something about it, told someone, they would have been suspicious as to how you knew" She reasoned.

**"I should have known," Poppy's mother said in a thick voice. "I should have made her come in sooner. I should have-I should have-"**

**There was a banging sound. Poppy looked around the door, forgetting to be inconspicuous. Her mother was hitting the Formica table over and over. Cliff was trying to stop her.**

**Poppy reeled back.**

**Oh, God, I've got to get out of here. I can't see this. I can't look at this.**

**She turned and walked back down the hall. Her legs moved. Just like always. Amazing that they still worked.**

**And everything around her was just like always. The nursing station was still decorated for the Fourth of July. Her suitcase was still on the padded window seat in her room. The hardwood floor was still solid underneath her.**

**Everything was the same-but how could it be?**

**How could the walls be still standing? How could the TV be blaring in the next room?**

**I'm going to die, Poppy thought.**

**Strangely enough, she didn't feel frightened. What she felt was vastly surprised. And the surprise kept coming, over and over, with every thought being interrupted by those four words.**

**It's my fault because (I'm going to die) I didn't go to the doctor's sooner.**

**Cliff said "damn" for me (I'm going to die). I didn't know he liked me enough to swear.**

**Her mind was racing wildly."**

"I don't think that can be good for you Poppy" Mary-Lynette said worriedly. "You might have a nervous breakdown." Ash laughed as if this idea amused him. Mary-Lynette looked beyond furious. "You really don't have a heart, do you?" She asked him. He shrugged not fazed by the question. Mary-Lynette looked ready to strangle him at this point and slowly stood up. Before she could take a step forward though, James was in front of her, blocking her path.

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you" James said pleading with Mary-Lynette.

"Fine" Mary-Lynette said sitting back down again. "But if he makes another heartless comment I really don't care what he will pay" She said sounding deadly serious. Ash rolled his eyes at the threat, ever indifferent.

"**Something in me, she thought. I'm going to die because of something that's inside me, like that alien in the movie. It's in me right now. Right now.**

**She put both hands to her stomach, then pulled up her T-shirt to stare at her abdomen. The skin was smooth, unblemished. She didn't feel any pain."**

Poppy felt James's heartbeat quicken through his shirt. _What? Oh. Really?_ Poppy thought, strangely triumphant.

"Alright" James said, annoyed. "You don't have to make a song and dance about it." Poppy giggled and let Mary-Lynette continue reading.

"**But it's in there and I'm going to die because of it. Die soon. I wonder how soon? I didn't hear them talk about that.**

**I need James.**

**Poppy reached for the phone with a feeling that her hand was detached from her body. She dialed, thinking Please be there.**

**But this time it didn't work. The phone rang and rang. When the answering machine came on, Poppy said, "Call me at the hospital." Then she hung up and stared at the plastic pitcher of ice water by her bedside.**

**He'll get in later, she thought. And then he'll call me. I just have to hang on until then."**

"Please do" Hannah said, still looking shaken. Poppy was watching Thierry carefully though, gauging his reaction. He looked like he wanted to comfort Hannah so badly but was wary of her reaction. _Okay_ Poppy thought _he definitely knows her, I wonder how and why she doesn't seem to remember?_

"**Poppy wasn't sure why she thought this, but suddenly it was her goal. To hang on until she could talk to James. She didn't need to think about anything until then; she just had to survive. Once she talked to James, she could figure out what she was supposed to be feeling, what she was supposed to do now.**

**There was a light knock at the door. Startled, Poppy looked up to see her mother and Cliff. For a moment all she could focus on was their faces, which gave her the strange illusion that the faces were floating in midair.**

**Her mother had red and swollen eyes. Cliff was pale, like a piece of crumpled white paper, and his jaw looked stubbly and dark in contrast.**

**Oh, my God, are they going to tell me? They can't; they can't make me listen to it.**

**Poppy had the wild impulse to run. She was on the verge of panic.**

**But her mother said, "Sweetie, some of your friends are here to see you. Phil called them this afternoon to let them know you were in the hospital, and they just arrived."**

**James, Poppy thought, something springing free in her chest. But James wasn't part of the group that came crowding through the doorway. It was mostly girls from school."**

"I'll be there soon" James said confidently.

"**It doesn't matter. He'll call later. I don't have to think now.**

**As a matter of fact, it was impossible to think with so many visitors in the room. And that was good. It was incredible that Poppy could sit there and talk to them when part of her was farther away than Neptune, but she did talk and that kept her brain turned off.**

**None of them had any idea that something serious was wrong with her. Not even Phil, who was at his brotherly best, very kind and considerate. They talked about ordinary things, about parties and Rollerblading and music and books. Things from Poppy's old life, which suddenly seemed to have been a hundred years ago.**

**Cliff talked, too, nicer than he had been since the days when he was courting Poppy's mother.**

**But finally the visitors left, and Poppy's mother stayed. She touched Poppy every so often with hands that shook slightly. If I didn't know, I'd know, Poppy thought. She isn't acting like Mom at all."**

"That would be scary, your Mom is meant to be strong for you" Gillian said.

Mary-Lynette, Thea, Rashel, Jez and Keller all looked sad at this. They must've lost theirs Poppy thought sadly; she couldn't really imagine life without her Mom. _You're gonna have to kid, dying remember?_ that annoying voice of truth reasoned. Poppy sighed then felt James chuckle beside her. _What?_ She asked silently. It felt surprisingly normal to be talking to James this way.

"You know you just basically argued with yourself" He said raising an eyebrow.

"Your point is?" She replied. James just chuckled again and shook his head.

**"I think I'll stay here tonight," her mother said. Not quite managing to sound offhand. "The nurse said I can sleep on the window seat; it's really a couch for parents. I'm just trying to decide whether I should run back to the house and get some things."**

**"Yes, go," Poppy said. There was nothing else she could say and still pretend that she didn't know. Besides, her mom undoubtedly needed some time by herself, away from this.**

**Just as her mother left, a nurse in a flowered blouse and green scrub pants came in to take Poppy's temperature and blood pressure. And then Poppy was alone."**

James squeezed her hand and smiled suspiciously.

"**It was late. She could still hear a TV, but it was far away. The door was ajar, but the hallway outside was dim. A hush seemed to have fallen over the ward.**

**She felt very alone, and the pain was gnawing deep inside her. Beneath the smooth skin of her abdomen, the tumor was making itself known.**

**Worst of all, James hadn't called. How could he not call? Didn't he know she needed him?**

**She wasn't sure how long she could go on not thinking about it.**

**Maybe the best thing would be to try to sleep. Get unconscious. Then she couldn't think.**

**But as soon as she turned out the light and closed her eyes, phantoms swirled around her. Not images of pretty bald girls; skeletons. Coffins. And worst of all, an endless darkness.**

**If I die, I won't be here. Will I be anywhere? Or will I just Not Be at all?**

**It was the scariest thing she'd ever imagined, Not Being. And she was definitely thinking now, she couldn't help it. She'd lost control. A galloping fear consumed her, made her shiver under the rough sheet and thin blankets. I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to- **

**"Poppy"**

Maggie chuckled. "Your knight in shining armor has arrived." Laughter echoed around the "house".

"How do you know it's me?" James asked her.

"I'm pretty good at deductive reasoning" She answered.

"So…you're pretty good at guessing basically" David said smirking.

"Yes" Maggie said with mock solemnity.

**Her eyes flew open. For a second she couldn't identify the black silhouette in the darkened room. She had a wild idea that it was Death itself coming to get her.**

**Then she said, "James?"**

"See?" Maggie said.

**"I wasn't sure if you were asleep."**

**Poppy reached for the bedside button that turned on the light, but James said, "No, leave it off. I had to sneak past the nurses, and I don't want them to throw me out."**

**Poppy swallowed, her hands clenched on a fold of blanket. "I'm glad you came," she said. "I thought you weren't going to come." What she really wanted was to throw herself into his arms and sob and scream."**

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind you throwing yourself at him" Hannah teased.

"Glad to see you're back to yourself." Thierry said smiling at her. Hannah looked wary before smiling back warmly, if a little shyly.

"**But she didn't. It wasn't just that she'd never done anything like that with him before; it was something about him that stopped her. Something she couldn't put her finger on, but that made her feel almost ... frightened.**

**The way he was standing? The fact that she couldn't see his face? All she knew was that James suddenly seemed like a stranger.**

**He turned around and very slowly closed the heavy door.**

**Darkness. Now the only light came in through the window. Poppy felt curiously isolated from the rest of the hospital, from the rest of the world.**

**And that should have been good, to be alone with James, protected from everything else. If only she weren't having this weird feeling of not recognizing him."**

"What are you doing?" Poppy asked him.

"Probably getting ready to show you what I really am" He said sounding wary.

"Oh, I don't know how I'm going to react. I think everything else that has happened so far will get the better of me. I might say something I don't mean. So James, I apologize in advance." Poppy said.

"It's okay." James said chuckling. "Your reaction _now_ is enough."

**"You know the test results," he said quietly. It wasn't a question.**

**"My mom doesn't know I 'know," Poppy said. How could she be talking coherently when all she wanted to do was scream? "I overheard the doctors telling her... James, I've got it. And ... it's bad; it's a bad kind of cancer. They said it's already spread. They said I'm going to . . ." She couldn't get the last word out, even though it was shrieking through her mind.**

**"You're going to die," James said. He still seemed quiet and centered. Detached.**

**"I read up on it," James went on, walking over to the window and looking out. "I know how bad it is. The articles said there was a lot of pain. Serious pain." **

The girls gasped.

"James, what are you doing?" Mary-Lynette asked angrily.

"I really don't know." James said. "I'm sorry Poppy." He continued sheepishly.

Poppy shrugged in response. "You probably have a reason."

**"James," Poppy gasped.**

**"Sometimes they have to do surgery just to try to stop the pain. But whatever they do, it won't save you. They can fill you full of chemicals and irradiate you, and you'll still. die. Probably before the end of summer."**

**"James-"**

**"It will be your last summer-"**

_**"James, for God's sake!"**_ **It was almost a scream.**

**Poppy was breathing in great shaking gulps, clinging to the blankets. "Why are you doing this to me?"**

**He turned and in one movement seized her wrist, his fingers closing over the plastic hospital bracelet. "I want you to understand that they can't help you," he said, ragged and intense. "Do you understand that?"**

**"Yes, I understand," Poppy said. She could hear the mounting hysteria in her own voice. "But is that what you came here to say? Do you want to _kill _me?"**

"You should do" Quinn said glaring at Poppy. James glared back, a hiss escaping the tight grimace that his lips made.

"You touch her, I'll kill you" James said menacingly still glaring at Quinn. Quinn turned his head away ever so slightly, admitting defeat. Poppy rubbed James's hand comfortingly.

"**His fingers tightened painfully. "No! I want to save you." Then he let out a breath and repeated it more quietly, but with no less intensity. "I want to save you, Poppy."**

**Poppy spent a few moments just getting air in and out of her lungs. It was hard to do it without dissolving into sobs. "Well, you can't," she said at last. "Nobody can."**

**"That's where you're wrong." Slowly he released her wrist and gripped the bed rail instead. "Poppy, there's something I've got to tell you. Something about me."**

"So you're going to tell me?" Poppy asked.

"It looks like it" James answered, wondering where this conversation was going.

"How does that help?" Poppy demanded. "Not that I mind" She added hastily, careful not to hurt his feelings.

"I don't know" James said slowly frowning.

"If I may" Thierry interrupted. James nodded. "I think he might be telling you so you can become a vampire. Now, this is illegal and some of you in this room are going to be furious about this but I will allow it. I am allowing it for one reason that is going to be crucial in the coming years, something that will change both our worlds for the better. Until it is mentioned though, what _it_ is will be kept secret. If _any _of you have a problem with this…well you'll have to answer to me." He finished. Some people looked angry at this, others thoughtful.

"Oh" Was really all Poppy could say to that. She didn't really know how to feel about that. _Being a vampire….?_

"**James . . ." Poppy could breathe now, but she didn't know what to say. As far as she could tell, James had gone crazy. In a way, if everything else hadn't been so awful, she might have been flattered. James had lost his consummate cool-over her. He was upset enough about her situation to go completely nonlinear.**

**"You really do care," she said softly, with a laugh that was half a sob. She put a hand on his where it rested on the bed rail.**

**He laughed shortly in turn. His hand flipped over to grasp hers roughly; then he pulled away. "You have no idea," he said in a terse, strained voice."**

"Now I do" Poppy said happily smiling at James.

"**Looking out the window, he added, "You think you know everything about me, but you don't. There's something very important that you don't know."**

**By now Poppy just felt numb. She couldn't understand why James kept harping on himself, when she was the one about to die. But she tried to conjure up some sort of gentleness for him as she said, "You can tell me anything. You know that."**

**"But this is something you won't believe. Not to mention that it's breaking the laws."**

**"The law?"**

**"The laws. I go by different laws than you. Human laws don't mean much to us, but our own are supposed to be unbreakable."**

**"James," Poppy said, with blank terror. He really was losing his mind.**

**"I don't know the right way to say it. I feel like somebody in a bad horror movie." He shrugged, and said without turning, "I know how this sounds, but ... Poppy, I'm a vampire."**

**Poppy sat still on the bed for a moment. Then she groped out wildly toward the bedside table. Her fingers closed on a stack of little crescent-shaped plastic basins and she threw the whole stack at him.**

**"You _bastard_!" she screamed, and reached for something else to throw."**

Somebody started laughing and soon they all joined in, not able to hold it in. After they had all got it out of their systems Poppy turned to James.

"I'm sorry" She said sheepishly.

James laughed. "It's not so bad, it could've been worse."

**A/N:**

**Sorry this took so long to write guys! We just broke up for Easter here though so, hopefully, I'll write more. Hopefully.**

**Thank you to Grace (the review that said Mummy-Mae in…don't ask). _Here_ is your thank you and no, I won't stop apologizing!**

**Please review.**

**Until next time. **

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	6. Chapter 6: Reading Chapter 5

Chapter 6: Reading Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. **

**All rights go to L.J Smith. **

**I own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The things in ****_italics_**** are Poppy's thoughts. **

"I'll read" Thea said. "Chapter 5:

**"James dodged as Poppy lobbed a paperback book at him. "Poppy"**

**"You jerk! You snake! How can you ****_do _****this to me? You spoiled, selfish, immature-"**

**"Shhh! They're going to hear you…" **

**"Let them! Here I am, and I've just found out that I'm going to ****_die, _****and all you can think of is playing a joke on me. A stupid, sick joke. I can't ****_believe _****this. Do you think that's funny?" She ran out of breath to rave with. James, who had been making quieting motions with his hands, now gave up and looked toward the door.**

**"Here comes the nurse," he said.**

**"Good, and I'm going to ask her to throw you ****_out," _****Poppy said. Her anger had collapsed, leaving her near tears. She had never felt so utterly betrayed and abandoned. "I hate you, you know," she said."**

James drew a sharp intake of breath.

"Jamie" Poppy said. "You know I don't" She continued pleading with him to see sense. _Why would he think that? He can even read my thoughts, for God's sake! It's pretty clear I love him, isn't it?_

Another sharp intake of breath from James.

"You didn't?" Poppy asked.

"I suspected but…" He trailed off obviously unable to express what he wanted to say.

Poppy looked into his eyes. "I love you" She said. Those three little words. The ones that have so much meaning but are not enough, not in Poppy's opinion. This felt so much bigger and stronger like if she didn't say it soon enough or express it soon enough she would explode, unable to contain the intensity. She didn't know if this was what James was feeling too or if this was intensified or diluted in his case so she needed to know. She tilted her head in a silent question, her heart beating painfully in her chest as she waited for an answer.

"The same, always" James answered then said the words that Poppy really wanted to hear again. "I love you." Poppy beamed again just like when she had found out. Hearing those words spoken meant so much to her.

Thea giggled. "Can I read now?" She asked them.

"Please do, I can't take anymore" Jez joked from the other side of the room. As always, Morgead dutifully laughed along with her.

**"The door opened. It was the nurse with the flowered blouse and green scrub pants. "Is anything the matter here?" she said, turning on the light. Then she saw James. "Now, let's see; you don't look like family," she said. She was smiling, but her voice had the ring of authority about to be enforced.**

**"He's not, and I want him out of here," Poppy said.**

**The nurse fluffed up Poppy's pillows, put a gentle hand on her forehead. **

**"Only family members are allowed to stay overnight," she said to James.**

**Poppy stared at the TV and waited for James to go. He didn't. He walked around the bed to stand by the nurse, who looked up at him while she continued straightening Poppy's blankets. Then her hands slowed and stopped moving.**

**Poppy glanced at her sideways in surprise.**

**The nurse was just staring at James. Hands limp on the blankets, she gazed at him as if she were mesmerized.**

**And James was just staring back. With the light on, Poppy could see James's face-and again she had that odd feeling of not recognizing him. He was very pale and almost stern looking, as if he were doing something that required an effort. His jaw was tight and his eyes-his eyes were the color of silver. Real silver, shining in the light.**

**For some reason, Poppy thought of a starving panther.**

**"So you see there's nothing wrong here," James said to the nurse, as if continuing a conversation they'd been having.**

**The nurse blinked once, then looked around the room as if she'd just awakened from a doze. "No, no; everything's fine," she said. **

**_"Call me if ..."_**** She looked briefly distracted again, then murmured, **

**"If, um, you need anything."**

**She walked out. Poppy watched her, forgetting to breathe. Then, slowly, moving only her eyes, she looked at James.**

**"I know it's a cliché," James said. "An overused demonstration of power. But it gets the job done."**

"So you can hypnotize people?" Mary-Lynette asked curiously.

"Yeah, it takes a lot out of you though" James answered truthfully.

**"You set this up with her," Poppy said in a bare whisper."**

Poppy shook her head at her own incompetence. "I'm so stupid"

**"No."**

**"Or else it's some kind of psychic trick. The Amazing Whatshisname."**

**"No," James said, and sat down on an orange plastic chair.**

**"Then I'm going ****_crazy. " _****For the first time that evening Poppy wasn't thinking about her illness. She couldn't think properly about anything; her mind was a whirling, crashing jumble of confusion. She felt like Dorothy's house after it had been picked up by the tornado.**

**"You're not crazy. I probably did this the wrong way; I said I didn't know how to explain it. Look, I know how hard it is for you to believe. **

**My people ****_arrange _****it that way; they do everything they can to keep humans not believing. Their lives depend on it."**

**"James, I'm sorry; I just-" Poppy found that her hands were trembling. She shut her eyes. "Maybe you'd better just-"**

**_"Poppy, look at me. _****I'm telling you the truth. I swear it." He stared at her face a moment, then let out a breath. "Okay. I didn't want to have to do this, but ..."**

**He stood, leaning close to Poppy. She refused to flinch, but she could feel her eyes widening.**

**"Now, look," he said, and his lips skinned back from his teeth.**

**A simple action-but the effect was astonishing. Transforming. In that instant he changed from the pale but fairly ordinary James of a moment ago-into something Poppy had never seen before. A different species of human being.**

**His eyes flared silver and his entire face took on a predatory look. But **

**Poppy scarcely noticed that; she was staring at his teeth.**

**Not teeth. Fangs. He had canines like a cat's. Elongated and curving, ending in delicate piercing points.**

**They were nothing like the fake vampire fangs sold at novelty stores. **

**They looked very strong and very sharp and very real.**

**Poppy screamed."**

"I took that well" Poppy said after getting over the shock of the fangs.

"That's pretty weird" Hannah said. "I suppose you'd need them to be able to drink someone's blood" She reasoned.

"You're taking this pretty calmly" Thierry said. "All of you" He continued.

"You can't change what you are as much as a leopard its spots" Hannah responded. "So we deal with it." Thierry looked happy that Hannah had come to this conclusion and smiled at her again. This time Hannah wasn't hesitant in returning it although it was still a little shy.

**"James clapped a hand over her mouth. "We don't want that nurse back in here."**

**When he lifted the hand, Poppy said, "Oh, my God; oh, my God..." **

**"All those times when you said I could read your mind," James said. **

**"Remember? And the times when I heard things you didn't hear, or moved faster than you could move?"**

**"Oh my God."**

**"It's true, Poppy." He picked up the orange chair and twisted one of the metal legs out of shape. He did it easily, gracefully. "We're stronger than humans," he said. He twisted the leg back and put the chair down. **

**"We see better in the dark. We're built for hunting."**

**Poppy finally managed to capture an entire thought. "I don't care ****_what you _****can do," she said shrilly. "You can't be a vampire. I've known you since you were five years ****_old. _****And you've gotten older every year, just like me. Explain ****_that."_**

**"Everything you know is wrong." When she just stared at him, he sighed again and said, "Everything you think you know about vampires, you've picked up from books or TV. And it's all written by humans, I'll guarantee that. Nobody in the Night World would break the code of secrecy."**

**"The Night World. Where's the Night World?"**

Quinn, Ash, Jez, Morgead and Delos hissed. Thierry looked at them in warning.

Once the majority looked bored again, Maggie asked Delos curiously: "I thought you said you were okay with this? Why get so mad about that?"

Delos looked surprised at her outburst then answered: "Just because I'm okay with it doesn't mean that I'm not slightly angry that someone is willingly exposing us"

Everyone noticed how he stuck us at the end of that sentence and looked at him even more warily. Maggie looked intrigued though.

**"It's not a place. It's like a secret society-for vampires and witches and werewolves. All the best people. And I'll explain about it later," James said grimly. "For now-look, it's simple. I'm a vampire because my parents are vampires. I was ****_born _****that way. We're the lamia."**

**All Poppy could think of was Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen with their luxury ranch-style house and their gold Mercedes. "Your ****_parents?"_**

**_"Lamia is _****just an old word for vampires, but for us it means the ones who're born that way," James said, ignoring her. "We're born and we age like humans-except that we can stop aging whenever we want. We breathe. We walk around in the daylight. We can even eat regular food."**

**"Your parents," Poppy said again faintly.**

**He looked at her. "Yeah. My parents. Look, why do you think my mom does interior decorating? Not because they need the money. She meets a lot of people that way, and so does my dad, the society shrink. It only takes a few minutes alone with somebody, and the human never remembers it afterward."**

**Poppy shifted uncomfortably. "So you, um, drink people's blood, huh?" Even after everything she'd seen, she couldn't say it without half-laughing.**

**James looked at the laces of his Adidas. "Yes. Yes, I sure do," he said softly. Then he looked up and met her gaze directly.**

**His eyes were pure silver.**

**Poppy leaned back against the pile of pillows on her bed. Maybe it was easier to believe him because the unbelievable had already happened to her earlier today. Reality had already been turned upside down-so, honestly, what did one more impossibility matter?**

**I'm going to die and my best friend is a bloodsucking monster, she thought."**

Maggie giggled. "I love your sense of humor Poppy."

"Thanks. I think." Poppy replied not sure whether she should take it as a compliment or an insult.

**"The argument was over, and she was out of energy. She and James looked at each other in silence.**

**"Okay," she said finally, and it meant everything she'd just realized.**

**"I didn't tell you this just to get it off my chest," James said, his voice still muted. "I said I could save you, remember?"**

**"Vaguely." Poppy blinked slowly, then said more sharply, "Save me how?"**

**His gaze shifted to empty air. "The way you're thinking."**

**"Jamie, ****_I can't _****think anymore."**

**Gently, without looking at her, he put a hand on her shin under the blanket. He shook her leg slightly, a gesture of affection. "I'm gonna turn you into a vampire, kid."**

**Poppy put both fists to her face and began to cry."**

"Well that could've gone better." James said.

Poppy laughed. "At least I didn't try to hit you with something again."

James looked thoughtful before answering. "Yeah" Then laughed along with her.

**"Hey." He let go of her shin and put an awkward arm around her, pulling her to sit up. "Don't do that. It's okay. It's better than the alternative."**

**"You're . . . freaking . . . crazy," Poppy sobbed. Once the tears had started, they flowed too easily she couldn't stop them. There was comfort in crying, and in being held by James. He felt strong and reliable and he smelled good."**

"If we didn't already know you love him, that sentence would sound creepy." Mary-Lynette said laughing at Poppy's expression which was a mix between embarrassment and annoyance.

**"You said you had to be born one," she added blurrily, between sobs.**

**"No, I didn't. I said I was born one. There are plenty of the other kind around. Made vampires. There would be more, but there's a law against just making any jerk off the street into one."**

** "But ****_I can't. _****I'm just what I am; I'm ****_me. I _****can't be-like that."**

** He put her gently away so he could look into her face. "Then you're going to die. You don't have any other choice. I checked around-even asked a witch. There's nothing else in the Night World to help you.**

**What it comes down to is: Do you want to live or not?"**

** Poppy's mind, which had been swamped in confusion again, suddenly fixed on this question. It was like a flashlight beam in a pitch-black room.**

** Did she want to live?**

** Oh, God, of ****_course _****she did.**

** Until today she'd assumed it was her unconditional ****_right _****to live. She hadn't even been grateful for the privilege. But now she knew it wasn't something to take for granted-and she also knew it was something she'd fight for.**

** Wake up, Poppy! This is the voice of reason calling. He says he can save your life.**

** "Wait a minute. I've got to think," Poppy said tightly to James. Her tears had stopped. She pushed him away completely and stared fiercely at the white hospital blanket."**

"What did the blanket do?" Maggie asked giggling. Poppy just rolled her eyes at her but was grateful for the topic shift.

** "Okay. Okay. Now get your head straight, girl.**

**You knew James had a secret. So you never imagined it was anything like this, so what? He's still James. He may be some godawful undead fiend, but he still cares about you. And there's nobody else to help you.**

**She found herself clutching at James's hand without looking at him. "What's it like?" she said through clenched teeth.**

**Steady and matter-of-fact, he said, "It's different. It's not something I'd recommend if there was another choice, but ... it's okay. You'll be sick while your body's changing, but afterward you'll never get any kind of disease again. You'll be strong and quick-and immortal."**

**"I'd live forever? But would I be able to stop aging?" She had visions of herself as an immortal crone.**

**He grimaced. "Poppy-you'd stop aging now. That's what happens to made vampires. Essentially, you're dying as a mortal. You'll look dead and be unconscious for a while. And then ... you'll wake up."**

**"I see." Sort of like Juliet in the tomb, Poppy thought. And then she thought, Oh, God ... Mom and Phil.**

**"There's another thing you should know," James was saying. "A certain percentage of people don't make it."**

**"Don't make it?"**

**"Through the change. People over twenty almost never do. They don't ever wake up. Their bodies can't adjust to the new form and they burn out. Teenagers usually live through it, but not always."**

**Oddly enough, this was comforting to Poppy. A qualified hope seemed more believable than an absolute one. To live, she would have to take a chance."**

"That's a weird way to look at it." David said.

"No, it makes perfect sense." Mary-Lynette said defensively.

**"She looked at James. "How do you do it?"**

**"The traditional way," he said with the ghost of a smile. Then, gravely: "We exchange blood."**

**Oh, great, Poppy thought. And I was afraid of a simple shot. Now I'm going to have my blood drawn by fangs. She swallowed and blinked, staring at nothing.**

**"It's your choice, Poppy. It's up to you."**

**There was a long pause, and then she said, "I want to live, Jamie."**

**He nodded. "It'll mean going away from here. Leaving your parents. They can't know."**

**"Yeah, I was just realizing that. Sort of like getting a new identity from the FBI, huh?"**

**"More than that. You'll be living in a new world, the Night World. And it's a lonely world, full of secrets. But you'll be walking around in it, instead of lying in the ground." He squeezed her hand. Then he said very quietly and seriously, "Do you want to start now?"**

**All Poppy could think of to do was shut her eyes and brace herself the way she did for an injection. "I'm ready," she said through stiff lips.**

**James laughed again-this time as if he couldn't help it. Then he folded the bed rail down and settled beside her. "I'm used to people being hypnotized when I do this. It's weird to have you awake."**

**"Yeah, well, if I scream you can hypnotize me," Poppy said, not opening her eyes.**

**Relax, she told herself firmly. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how awful it is, you can deal with it. You have to. Your life depends on it.**

**Her heart was thumping hard enough to shake her body."**

"Do you think that's because you're scared or because James is so close to you?" Gillian asked curiously.

Poppy hesitated before answering truthfully with: "Probably a bit of both."

Gillian nodded and motioned for Thea to continue.

**"Right here," James said, touching her throat with cool fingers as if feeling for a pulse.**

**Just do it, Poppy thought. Get it over with.**

**She could feel warmth as James leaned close to her, taking her carefully by the shoulders. Every nerve ending in her skin was aware of him. Then she felt cool breath on her throat, and quickly, before she could recoil, a double sting.**

**Those fangs, burying themselves in her flesh. Making two little wounds so he could drink her blood ...**

**Now it's really going to hurt, Poppy thought. She couldn't brace herself anymore. Her life was in the hands of a hunter. She was a rabbit trapped in the coils of a snake, a mouse under the claws of a cat. She didn't feel like James's best friend, she felt like lunch...**

**_Poppy, what are you doing? Don't fight it. It hurts when you resist_****."**

"You can talk in my mind?" Poppy asked.

"Yeah" James said then frowned.

"What?" Poppy asked, anxious now.

"This sounds… different." James replied. _Different, different how?_ Poppy thought. _I'll probably get my answer in the book. _

**"James was speaking to her-but the warm mouth on her throat hadn't moved. The voice was in her head.**

**I'm not resisting, Poppy thought. I'm just ready for it to hurt, that's all.**

**There was a burning where his teeth pierced her. She waited for it to get worse-but it didn't. It changed.**

**Oh, Poppy thought.**

**The feeling of heat was actually pleasant. A sensation of release, of giving.**

**And closeness. She and James were getting closer and closer, like two drops of water moving together until they merged.**

**She could sense James's mind. His thoughts and his feelings. His emotions flowed into her, through her.**

**Tenderness ... concern ... caring. A cold black rage at the disease that was threatening her. Despair that there was no other way to help her. And longing-longing to share with her, to make her happy.**

**Yes, Poppy thought.**

**A wave of sweetness made her dizzy. She found herself groping for James's hand, their fingers intertwining.**

**James, she thought with wonder and joy. Her communication to him a tentative caress.**

**Poppy. She could feel his own surprise and delight.**

**And all the time the dreamy pleasure was building. Making Poppy shiver with its intensity."**

James looked over at Thierry. Thierry nodded, ever so slightly and smiled. James turned back to Poppy and gave her a dazzling smile that made Poppy's heart flutter in response. She frowned though still confused at James and Thierry's exchange.

"It's probably going to come up later on." He whispered in her ear. _Well that isn't much of an answer_ Poppy thought. James chuckled.

**"The words she heard in answer didn't seem directed toward her-she had the feeling they were something James was thinking to himself, or remembering from some long-forgotten book.**

**You don't love a girl because of beauty. You love her because she sings a song only you can understand...**

**With the thought came a strong feeling of protectiveness. So this was how James felt about her-she knew at last. As if she were something precious, something to be protected at all costs..."**

"I really do think that you know." James said suddenly. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He continued frowning at just the thought.

"You're not going to." Poppy replied squeezing his hand. James wrapped his arm tighter around Poppy's side reinforcing the fact he's not going to let her go.

**"At all costs. No matter what happened to him. Poppy tried to follow the thought deeper into his mind, to find out what it meant. She got an impression of rules-no, laws ...**

**_Poppy, it's bad manners to search somebody's mind when you're not invited. _****The words were tinged with desperation.**

**Poppy pulled back mentally. She hadn't meant to pry. She just wanted to help...**

**_I know_****, James's thought came to her, and with it a rush of warmth and gratitude. Poppy relaxed and simply enjoyed the feeling of oneness with him.**

**I wish it could last forever, she thought-and just then it stopped. The warmth at her neck disappeared, and James pulled away, straightening.**

**Poppy made a sound of protest and tried to drag him back. He wouldn't let her."**

Poppy stuck her tongue out at James. "Spoilsport." Maggie laughed.

**"No-there's something else we have to do," he whispered. But he didn't do anything else. He just held her, his lips against her forehead. Poppy felt peaceful and languid.**

**"You didn't tell me it would be like that," she said.**

**"I didn't know," James said simply. "It never has been before."**

**They sat together quietly, with James gently stroking her hair.**

**So strange, Poppy thought. Everything is the same-but everything's different. It was as if she'd pulled herself up on dry land after almost drowning in the ocean. The terror that had been pounding inside her all day was gone, and for the first time in her life she felt completely safe.**

**After another minute or so James shook his head, rousing himself.**

**"What else do we have to do?" Poppy asked.**

**For an answer, James lifted his own wrist to his mouth. He made a quick jerking motion with his head, as if tearing a strip of cloth held in his teeth.**

**When he lowered the wrist, Poppy saw blood.**

**It was running in a little stream down his arm. So red it almost didn't look real.**

**Poppy gulped and shook her head.**

**"It's not that bad," James said softly. "And you have to do it. Without my blood in you, you won't become a vampire when you die, you'll just die. Like any other human victim."**

**And I want to live, Poppy thought. All right, then. Shutting her eyes, she allowed James to guide her head to his wrist.**

**It didn't taste like blood, or at least not like the blood she'd tasted when she bit her tongue or put a cut finger in her mouth. It tasted-strange. Rich and potent.**

**Like some magic elixir, Poppy thought dizzily. And once again she felt the touch of James's mind. Intoxicated with the closeness, she kept drinking.**

**_That's right. You've got to take a lot,_**** James told her. But his mental voice was weaker than it had been. Instantly Poppy felt a surge of alarm.**

**_But what will it do to you?_**

**"I'll be all right," James said aloud. "It's you I'm worried about. If you don't get enough, you'll be in danger."**

**Well, he was the expert. And Poppy was happy to let the strange, heady potion keep flowing into her. She basked in the glow that seemed to be lighting her from the inside out. She felt so tranquil, so calm...**

**And then, without warning, the calm was shattered. A voice broke into it, a voice full of harsh surprise.**

**"What are you ****_doing_****?" the voice said, and Poppy looked up to see Phillip in the doorway."**

"Uh-oh" Poppy exclaimed.

"That would look really bad to an older brother." Maggie said thinking of hers.

**A/N:**

**Whoa, two chapters in a week. Don't get used to it people.**

**Thank you again Grace, your wish is my command.**

**Until next time.**

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	7. Chapter 7: Reading Chapter 6

Chapter 7: Reading Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. **

**All rights go to L.J Smith. **

**I own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The things in ****_italics_**** are Poppy's thoughts. **

"I'll read" Eric offered. Thea handed the book to him with a smile, momentarily dazzling him into silence.

"Eric" Maggie shouted then giggled when he jumped. "I think Poppy wants you to read."

Eric smiled sheepishly at Poppy. "Sorry. Chapter 6:

**"James moved fast. He picked up the plastic tumbler on the bedside table and handed it to Poppy. She understood. Feeling giddy and uncoordinated, she took a healthy swig of water and licked her lips to wash any traces of blood away.**

**"What are you****_ doing?" _****Phillip repeated, striding into the room. His eyes were fixed on James, which was good, because Poppy was trying to position herself to hide the side of her neck that James had bitten.**

**"None of your business," she said, and in the same instant she knew it was a mistake. Phillip, whose middle name was Stability, was looking distinctly unstable tonight.**

**Mom told him, Poppy thought.**

**"I mean, we aren't doing ****_anything," _****she amended.**

**It didn't help. Phil was clearly in a mood to see everything in the world as a threat to his sister. And Poppy couldn't really blame him-he'd walked in on the two of them in a strange embrace on a rumpled hospital bed."**

"He's gonna have to deal with it." Poppy said through her teeth. Everyone immediately burst out laughing. Poppy was confused for a moment, then: "Oh God, no. I didn't mean…" She trailed off, embarrassed and probably blushing enough to put a tomato to shame.

"We know." Gillian said between giggles. "It just sounded like that."

"Please carry on." Poppy told Eric trying to cool down her burning cheeks.

**"James was comforting me because I was scared," she said. She didn't even try to explain why James had been cradling her head to his arm. But she glanced at James's arm surreptitiously and saw that the wound there was already closed, the mark fading.**

**"Everything's all right, you know," James said, standing to fix a mesmerizing silver gaze on Phillip. But Phil hardly gave him a glance. He was staring at Poppy.**

**It's not working, Poppy thought. Maybe Phil's too mad to be hypnotized. Or too ****_stubborn._**

**She looked a question at James, which he answered with a barely discernable shake of his head. He didn't know what the problem was, either.**

**But they both knew what it meant. James was going to have to leave. Poppy felt cheated and frustrated. All she wanted was to talk with James, to revel in their new discovery of each other-and she couldn't. Not with Phil here."**

"That would be awkward." Mary-Lynette said then turned to James with a question eager to roll off her tongue. "How fast do you heal?" She asked.

"I don't actually know but if someone cut us with a knife it would take just a few minutes for our skin to heal. A piece of wood, however and it would take considerably longer." James explained.

"So wood is your weakness?" She asked a disbelieving look clear in her eyes.

"Yeah." James answered. _Wood?_ Poppy thought. _But you can find that almost anywhere, why would vampires have something as easily accessible as their biggest enemy?_

"It sucks, sure but we can't change it, it's been that way since the beginning." James said. Poppy wasn't sure if he was talking to her or everyone else. "Both" He whispered in her ear.

**"How come you're here, anyway?" she asked him irritably.**

**"I drove Mom here. You know she doesn't like driving at night. And I brought this." He swung her boom box up onto the bedside table. "And these." He put a black CD case beside it. "All your favorite music."**

**Poppy felt her anger draining away. "That was sweet," she said. She was touched, especially since Phil hadn't said "All your favorite ****_weird_****music," which was usually how he referred to it. "Thank you."**

**Phil shrugged, shooting a glare at James.**

**Poor Phil, Poppy thought. Her brother actually looked disheveled. And his eyes were swollen.**

**"Where's Mom?" she was starting to say, when her mother walked in.**

**"I'm back, sweetie," her mother said, with a very creditable cheery smile. Then she looked surprised. "James-it was nice of you to come."**

**"Yeah, but he was just leaving," Phil said significantly. "I'll show him the way out."**

**James didn't waste energy on a fight he couldn't win. He turned to Poppy and said, "I'll see you tomorrow."**

**There was a look in his gray eyes-gray, not silver now-that was just for her. A look that had never been there before in all the years she'd known him.**

**"Goodbye, James," she said softly. "And-thank you." She knew he understood what she meant.**

**It wasn't until he was out the door, with Phillip on his heels like a bouncer after a rowdy customer, that a thought occurred to her.**

**James had said that she would be in danger if she didn't get enough of his blood. But they'd gotten interrupted almost immediately after that. Had Poppy gotten enough? And what would happen if she ****_hadn't?_**

**She herself had no idea, and there was no way to ask James."**

Poppy looked at James, he nodded understanding. "I think so."

**"Phil stayed right behind James all the way out of the hospital.**

**Not tonight, James thought. He just couldn't deal with Phillip North tonight. His patience was gone, and his mind was occupied in calculating whether Poppy had taken enough of his blood to be safe. He ****_thought _****she had-but the sooner she got more, the better.**

**"You'll 'see her tomorrow'-well, you're ****_not _****going to see her tomorrow," Phil said abruptly as they walked into the garage.**

**"Phil, give me a break."**

**Instead, Phillip stepped in front of him and stopped dead, forcing James to stop, too. Phillip was breathing quickly, his green eyes burning.**

**"Okay, ****_bud, " _****he said. "I don't know what you think you're doing with Poppy-but it's all over now. From now on you stay away from her. ****_Understand?"_**

**Visions of breaking Phillip's neck like a new pencil danced in James's head. But Phil was Poppy's brother, and his green eyes were surprisingly like hers.**

**"I would never hurt Poppy," he said wearily.**

**"Give me a****break. Are you going to stand there and tell me you don't want to move in on her?"**

**James couldn't come up with an answer immediately. Yesterday he could have truthfully said no, he didn't want to move in on Poppy. Because it would have meant a death sentence for him and Poppy both. It was only when Poppy had received a death sentence of her own that he'd allowed himself to look at his feelings.**

**And now ... now he'd been close to Poppy. He'd touched her mind, and had found that she was even braver and more gallant than he'd thought; even more compassionate-and more vulnerable.**

**He wanted to be that close to Poppy again. He cared about her in a way that made his throat ache. He ****_belonged _****with Poppy."**

"Yes, you do" Hannah said smiling. "Even _I_ can see that."

"I know that _now_" James said rolling his eyes but smiling all the same. Poppy giggled and smiled at Hannah, a gesture of thanks.

**"He also realized that that might not be enough."**

"Yes it is" Hannah almost growled. "Don't you _dare _leave her" She said directing her threat at James.

"I won't" James said squeezing Poppy's hand.

"Why do you care so much?" Mary-Lynette asked raising her eyebrow.

Hannah frowned before answering with a puzzled expression. "I don't know"

**"Sharing blood forged a powerful bond between two people. It would be wrong of him to take advantage of that bond-or of Poppy's gratitude to him. Until he was sure that Poppy's mind was clear and her decisions were her own, he should keep a little distance. It was the only honorable thing to do.**

**"The last thing I want to do is hurt her," he repeated. "Why can't you believe that?" He made a half-hearted attempt to capture Phil's gaze as he said it. It failed, just as it had in the hospital. Phillip seemed to be one of those rare humans who couldn't be influenced by mind control.**

**"Why can't I believe it? Because I know you. You and your-girlfriends." Phil managed to make the word sound like a curse. "You go through six or seven a year-and when you're through with them, you dump them like trash."**

**James was distracted briefly by amusement, because Phil was dead on. He ****_needed _****six girlfriends a year. After two months the bond between them became dangerously strong.**

**"Poppy's not my girlfriend and I'm not going to dump her," he said, pleased at his own cleverness. He'd avoided an outright lie-Poppy wasn't his girlfriend in any normal sense. They'd merged their souls, that was all-they hadn't talked about dating or anything."**

"In any normal sense?" Poppy inquired.

"Umm…yeah?" James answered uncertainly and a little sheepishly.

Poppy laughed. "I'm just messing with you" She said enjoying James's annoyed expression.

**"So you ****_are_**** telling me you're not gonna try to put the moves on her. Is that it? Because you'd better be ****_sure._****" As he spoke, Phil did what was probably the most dangerous thing he'd ever done in his life. He grabbed James by the front of the shirt.**

**You stupid ****_human_****, James thought. He briefly considered breaking every bone in Phil's hand. Or picking Phil up and throwing him across the garage into somebody's windshield. Or ..."**

"Don't you _dare_" Poppy said menacingly, glaring at James. Ash, Quinn, Jez and Morgead all looked hopeful. _At least they're paying attention_ Poppy thought.

**"You're Poppy's brother," he said through his teeth. "So I'm going to give you a chance to let go."**

**Phil stared into his face a moment, then let go, looking slightly shaken. But not shaken enough to keep quiet.**

**"You have to leave her alone," he said. "You don't understand. This disease she's got it's serious. She doesn't need anything messing up her life right now. She just needs . . ." He stopped and swallowed.**

**Suddenly James felt very tired. He couldn't blame Phil for being upset-Phil's mind was full of crystal clear pictures of Poppy dying. Usually James got only general images about what humans were thinking, but Phillip was broadcasting so loud it nearly deafened him.**

**Half-truths and evasions hadn't worked. It was time for Outright Lies. Anything to satisfy Phil and get James away from this."**

"Oh dear" Thea said, reading over Eric's shoulder. "Poppy, he doesn't mean it okay?"

Poppy nodded, anything James is going to say is to get away from Phil, she can't take it to heart.

**""I know that what Poppy has is serious," he said. "I found an article about it on the Net. That's why I was here, okay? I feel sorry for her. I'm not interested in Poppy except as a friend, but it makes her feel better if I pretend that I like her."**

**Phillip hesitated, looking at him hard and suspiciously. Then he shook his head slowly. "Being friends is one thing, but it's wrong to mix her up. In the end, pretending isn't going to do her any good. I don't even think it makes her feel better now-she looked pretty bad in there."**

**"Bad?"**

**"Pale and shaky. You know Poppy; you know how she gets overexcited about things. You shouldn't be fooling around with her emotions." He narrowed his eyes and said, "So maybe you'd better stay away from her for a while. Just to make sure she hasn't got the wrong idea."**

**"Whatever," James said. He wasn't really listening.**

**"Okay," Phillip said. "We have a deal. But I'm warning you, if you break it, you're in trouble."**

**James wasn't listening to that, either. Which was a mistake."**

"Oh great" Poppy said sarcastically. "You won't hurt him will you?" She asked warily.

"Probably not but it depends on the situation" James said seriously.

**"In the darkened hospital room Poppy lay and listened to her mother's breathing.**

**You're not asleep, she thought, and I'm not asleep. And you know I'm not, and I know you're not...**

**But they couldn't talk. Poppy wanted desperately to let her mother know that everything was going to be all right-but how? She couldn't betray James's secret. And even if she could, her mother wouldn't believe her.**

**I have to find a way, Poppy thought. ****_I have to_****. And then a great wave of drowsiness overtook her. It had been the longest day in her life, and she was full of alien blood already working its strange magic in her. She couldn't ... she just couldn't ... keep her eyes open.**

**Several times during the night a nurse came in to take her vital signs, but Poppy never really woke up. For the first time in weeks, no pain interrupted her dreams.**

**She opened her eyes the next morning feeling confused and weak. Black dots swarmed through her vision when she sat up.**

**"Hungry?" her mother asked. "They left this breakfast tray for you."**

**The smell of hospital eggs made Poppy feel nauseated. But because her mother was watching her anxiously, she played with the food on the tray before she went to wash up. In the bathroom mirror she examined the side of her neck. Amazing-there was no trace of a mark.**

**When she came out of the bathroom, her mother was crying.**

**Not floods of tears, not sobbing. Just dabbing her eyes on a Kleenex. But Poppy couldn't stand it.**

**"Mom, if you're worried about telling me ... I know."**

**The whole sentence was out before Poppy could even think about it.**

**Her mother's head jerked up in horror. She stared at Poppy with more tears spilling. "Sweetheart-you know ... ?"**

**"I know what I've got and I know how bad it is," Poppy said. If this was the wrong strategy, it was too late now. "I listened when you and Cliff were talking to the doctors."**

**"Oh, my ****_Lord_****."**

**What can I say? Poppy wondered. It's okay, Mom, because I'm not going to die; I'm going to become a vampire. I hope. I can't be sure, because sometimes you don't make it through the transformation. But with any luck, I should be sucking blood in a few weeks."**

Maggie giggled along with quite a few people. "Your thoughts are non-intentionally funny" She stated.

**"Come to think of it, she hadn't asked James exactly how long it would take to change her.**

**Her mother was taking deep, calming breaths. "Poppy, I want you to know how much I love you. Cliff and I will do anything-anything-we can to help you. Right now he's looking into some clinical protocols-those are experimental studies where they test new ways of treating people. If we can just .. . buy time ... until a cure . ' .."**

**Poppy couldn't stand it. She could ****_feel _****her mother's pain. Literally. It carne in palpable waves that seemed to echo through her bloodstream, making her dizzy."**

"That's so weird" Mary-Lynette said, slightly awe-struck at the same time.

**"It's that blood, she thought. It's doing something to me-changing me.**

**Even as she thought it, she went to her mother. She wanted to hug her, and she needed help standing up.**

**"Mom, I'm not scared," she said, muffled against her mother's shoulder. "I can't explain, but I'm not scared. And I don't want you to be unhappy over me."**

**Her mother just held on fiercely, as if Death might try to snatch Poppy out of her arms that minute. She was crying.**

**Poppy cried, too. Real tears, because even if she wasn't going to die truly, she was going to lose so much. Her old life, her family, everything familiar. It felt good to cry over it; it was something she needed to do.**

**But when it was done, she tried again.**

**"The one thing I don't want is for you to be unhappy or worry," she said, and looked up at her mother. "So could you just try not to? For my sake?"**

**Oh, God, I'm coming off like Beth in Little Women, she thought. Saint Poppy. And the truth is, if I were really dying, I'd go kicking and screaming all the way."**

James chuckled affectionately. "You really would"

**"Still, she'd managed to comfort her mother, who drew back looking tearstained but quietly proud. "You're really something, Poppet," was all she said, but her lips trembled.**

**Saint Poppy looked away, horribly embarrassed until another wave of dizziness saved her. She allowed her mother to help her back into bed.**

**And it was then that she finally found a way to pose the question she needed to ask.**

**"Mom," she said slowly, "what if there was a cure for me somewhere-like in some other country or something-and I could go there and get better, but they wouldn't ever let me come back? I mean, you'd know I was okay, but you wouldn't ever be able to see me again." She looked at her mother intently. "Would you want me to do it?"**

**Her mother answered instantly. "Sweetheart, I'd want you cured if you had to go to the moon. As long as you were happy." She had to pause a moment, then resumed steadily. "But, honey, there isn't such a place. I wish there were."**

**"I know." Poppy patted her arm gently. "I was just asking. I love you, Mom."**

**Later that morning Dr. Franklin and Dr. Loftus came by. Facing them wasn't as horrible as Poppy expected, but she felt like a hypocrite when they marveled over her "wonderful attitude." They talked about quality time, and the fact that no two cases of cancer were the same, and about people they'd known who'd beaten the percentages. Saint Poppy squirmed inside, but she listened and nodded-until they began to talk about more tests.**

**"We'd like to do an angiogram and a laparotomy," Dr. Loftus said. "Now an angiogram is-"**

**"Tubes stuck in my ****_veins?" _****Poppy said before she could help herself.**

**Everyone looked startled. Then Dr. Loftus gave a rueful smile. "Sounds like you've been reading up on it."**

**"No, I just-I guess I remember it from somewhere," Poppy said. She knew where she was getting the images-from Dr. Loftus's head."**

"Cool" Poppy said slightly shocked that she could do that.

James chuckled again. "Looks like you're going to be a strong telepath"

**"And she probably should cover her tracks instead of talking anymore, but she was too distressed. "And a laparotomy's an operation, right?"**

**Dr. Loftus and Dr. Franklin exchanged glances. "An exploratory operation, yes," Dr. Franklin said.**

**"But I don't need those tests, do I? I mean, you already know what I've got. And the tests hurt."**

**"Poppy," her mother said gently. But Dr. Loftus was answering slowly.**

**"Well, sometimes we need the tests to confirm a diagnosis. But in your case ... no, Poppy. We don't really need them. We're already sure."**

**"Then I don't see why I have to have them," Poppy said simply. "I'd rather go home."**

**The doctors looked at each. other, then at Poppy's mother. Then, without even trying to be subtle about it, the three adults went out into the corridor to deliberate.**

**When they came back, Poppy knew she'd won.**

**"You can go home, Poppy," Dr. Franklin said quietly. "At least until you develop any further symptoms. The nurse will tell your mother what to look out for."**

**The first thing Poppy did was call James. He answered on the first ring and said, "How do you feel?"**

**"Dizzy. But pretty good," Poppy said, whispering because her mother was outside talking to a nurse. "I'm coming home."**

"Home is where the heart is" Hannah quoted then looked at James and Poppy and smiled. "You said "I'm coming home" not I'm going home, home is where James is." She said.

Poppy smiled back. "I guess so"

**"I'll come over this afternoon," James said. "Call me when you think you'll have an hour or so alone. And, Poppy ... don't tell Phil I'm coming."**

**"Why not?"**

**"I'll explain later."**

"Are you really going to tell her?" Maggie asked.

James shrugged. "Can't keep anything from Poppy" He said smiling.

_Damn right you can't_ Poppy thought.

**"When she actually got home, it was strange. Cliff and Phil were there. Everybody was unusually nice to her, while still trying to pretend that nothing unusual was going on. (Poppy had heard the nurse tell her mother that it was good to try and maintain a normal routine.) It's like my birthday, Poppy thought dazedly. Like some terribly important birthday and graduation rolled into one. Every few minutes the doorbell would ring as another flower arrangement arrived. Poppy's bedroom looked like a garden.**

**She felt badly for Phil. He looked so stricken-and so brave. She wanted to comfort him the way she'd comforted her mother-but how?**

**"Come here," she ordered, opting for direct action. And when he obeyed, she hugged him tightly.**

**"You'll beat this thing," he whispered. "I know you will. Nobody's ever had as much will to live as you do. And nobody's ever, ever been as stubborn."**

**It was then that Poppy realized just how terribly she was going to miss him.**

**When she let go, she felt light-headed.**

**"Maybe you'd better lie down," Cliff said gently. And Poppy's mother helped her to the bedroom.**

**"Does Dad know?" she asked as her mother moved around the bedroom, straightening things.**

**"I tried to get hold of him yesterday, but the people at the station said he'd moved to somewhere in Vermont. They don't know where."**

**Poppy nodded. It sounded like her dad always on the move. He was a DJ-when he wasn't being an artist or a stage magician. He'd split up with her mom because he wasn't very good at being any of those things-or at least not good enough to get paid much.**

**Cliff was everything Poppy's father wasn't: responsible, disciplined, hardworking. He fit in perfectly with Poppy's mom and Phil. So perfectly that sometimes Poppy felt like the odd one out in her own family."**

"Oh Poppy" James said smiling sadly. "You're not the odd one out" he continued comfortingly rubbing circles into her palm.

**"I miss Dad," Poppy said softly.**

**"I know. Sometimes I do, too," her mother said, surprising her. Then she said firmly, "We'll find him, Poppy. As soon as he hears, he'll want to come."**

**Poppy hoped so. She didn't suppose she'd get a chance to see him-after.**

**It wasn't until an hour or so before dinnertime, when Phil and Cliff were out doing errands, and her mother was taking a nap, that Poppy got the chance to call James.**

**"I'll come right over," he said. "I'll let myself in." Ten minutes later he walked into Poppy's bedroom."**

Poppy groaned.

"What?" James asked looking anxious.

"That's got disaster written all over it, I bet Phil walks in again" She said.

Laughter was heard around the room. Once it had died down Eric spoke up, having read a few pages on. "You're spot on Poppy, in fact your whole family walks in" He said chuckling.

"Yay" Poppy

**"Poppy felt strangely shy. Things had changed between her and James. They weren't simply best friends anymore.**

**They didn't even say "Hi" to each other. As soon as he came in, their eyes caught and met. And then, for an endless moment, they just looked at each other.**

**This time, when Poppy felt the quick pang in her chest that always came when she saw James, it was a throb of pure sweetness. He cared about her. She could see it in his eyes.**

**Wait a minute, hang on, her mind whispered. Don't jump the gun here. He cares about you, yes, but he didn't say he was in love with you. There's a difference.**

**Shut up, Poppy told her brain soberly. Aloud, she said, "How come you didn't want Phil to know you were here?"**

**James threw his light windbreaker over a chair and sat down on Poppy's bed. "Well-I just' didn't want to be interrupted," he said with a gesture of dismissal. "How's the pain?"**

**"It's gone," Poppy said. "Isn't that weird? It didn't wake me up at all last night. And there's something else. I think I'm starting to-well, read people's thoughts."**

**James smiled slightly, just one corner of his mouth up. "That's good. 1 was worried-" He broke off and went to turn Poppy's CD player on. Plaintive Bantu wailing's emerged.**

**"I was worried you didn't get enough blood last night," James said quietly, resuming his seat. "You'll have to take more this time-and so will I."**

"I really hope this works Poppy, you deserve a second chance." Hannah said frowning. "Everyone deserves a second chance" She frowned even deeper then, lost in thought.

"Hannah?" Mary-Lynette asked worriedly after a few minutes of Hannah staring into the distance, not moving, her eyes slightly glassy.

Hannah shook her head and frowned again. "I'm sorry guys I really don't know what happened there, it's like I was here but somewhere else too. Weird"

Poppy decided that stranger things had happened to her today so this was slightly normal in comparison. "Where were you?" She asked.

"I don't really know, it was all blurry" Hannah replied looking scared out of her mind.

Poppy couldn't stand her being scared. She shared a look with Mary-Lynette, Thea, Gillian and Maggie. They simultaneously got up and walked over to Hannah, taking it in turns to hug her. Hannah shot them a grateful smile and they returned to their seats. Poppy made her way back into the circle of James's arms and motioned for Eric to continue.

**"Poppy felt something tremble inside her. Her revulsion was gone. She was still afraid, but that was only because of the consequences of what they were going to do. It wasn't just a way to get closer or to feed James. They were doing it to change Poppy.**

**"The only thing I don't understand is why you never bit me before." Her tone was light, but as she spoke the words, she realized that there was a serious question behind them.**

**"I mean," She said slowly, "you did it with Michaela and Jacklyn, didn't you? And with other girls?"**

**He looked away but answered steadily. "I didn't exchange blood with them. But I fed on them, yes."**

**"But not me."**

**"No. How can I explain?" He looked up at her. "Poppy, taking blood can be a lot of different things-and the Elders don't want it to be anything but feeding. They say all you should feel is the joy of the hunt. And that's all I ever have felt before."**

**Poppy nodded, trying to feel satisfied with this. She didn't ask who the Elders were.**

**"Besides, it can be dangerous, " James said. "It can be done with hatred, and it can kill. Kill permanently, I mean."**

**Poppy was almost amused by this. "You wouldn't kill."**

**James stared at her. Outside, it was cloudy and the light in Poppy's bedroom was pale. It made James's face look pale, too, and his eyes silver.**

**"But I have," James said. His voice was flat and bleak. "I've killed without exchanging enough blood, so the person didn't come back as a vampire."**

"That was the end of the chapter" Eric said passing the book to Gillian.

"I hate it when chapters end on cliffhangers" Rashel commented. Everyone shot her a shocked expression. "I don't like being surprised" She answered simply.

**A/N:**

**I know guys, been a long time. I got writers block and you fellow authors know that sometimes it's hard to get that same writing flow back, so I apologize for the delay. Thanks to everyone who reviewed previous chapters!**

**Who liked Hannah's little episode? I just randomly came up with this idea and I think the line that she says before fits in with her story. **

**Anyway, thank you for reading and please review, it means a lot. **

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	8. Chapter 8: Reading Chapter 7

Chapter 8: Reading Chapter 7

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. **

**All rights go to L.J Smith. **

**I own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The things in italics are Poppy's thoughts.**

**In response to a Guests review:**

**"Nice chapter! Will we be able to see some interactions with other soulmate couples soon? Anyway can't wait for the next update :)"**

**I'm going to focus mainly on the couple in the book with each story. Sorry that was worded pretty weirdly but I hope that explained!**

**On with the story…**

"Chapter 7:" Gillian read.

**"Then you must have had a reason," Poppy said flatly. When he looked at her, she shrugged. "I know you." She knew him in a way she'd never known anyone.**

**James looked away. "I didn't have a reason, but there were some ... extenuating circumstances. You could say I was set up. But I still have nightmares."**

**He sounded so tired-so sad. It's a lonely world, full of secrets, poppy thought. And he'd had to keep the biggest secret of all from everyone, including her.**

**"It must have been awful for you," she said, hardly aware that she was speaking out loud. "I mean, all your life-holding this in. Not telling anybody. Pretending ..."**

**"Poppy." He gave a shiver of repressed emotion. "Don't."**

**"Don't sympathize with you?"**

**He shook his head. "Nobody's 's ever understood before." After a pause he said, "How can you worry about me? With what you're facing?"**

**"I guess because -I care about you."**

**"And I guess that's why I didn't treat you like Michaela or Jacklyn," he said.**

**Poppy looked at the sculpted planes of his face, at the wave of brown hair falling over his forehead like silk ... and held her breath. Say "I love you," she ordered mentally. Say it, you thickheaded male."**

Everyone in the room burst out laughing, Poppy included. James sat there, pouting.

"What?" Poppy asked innocently. "It's entirely true" James rolled his eyes and laughed too.

"I'm sorry for not saying it, I love you" He said smiling.

"I know that _now_" Poppy replied, quoting him. It was worth it just to see the smile on his face.

**"But they weren't connected, and James didn't give the slightest sign of having heard. Instead he turned brisk and businesslike. "We'd better get started." He got up and drew the window curtains shut. "Sunlight inhibits all vampire powers," he said in a guest lecturer voice. .**

**Poppy took advantage of the pause to go to the CD player. The music had changed to a Dutch club song, which was fine for doing the Netherlands skippy dance to, but not very romantic. She punched a button and a velvety Portuguese lament began.**

**Then she twitched the sheer hangings around the bed dosed. When she sat down again, she and James were in their own little world, dim and secluded, enclosed in misty eggshell white.**

**"I'm ready," she said softly, and James leaned in close to her. Even in the semidarkness Poppy felt mesmerized by his eyes. They were like windows to some other place, someplace distant and magical.**

**The Night World, she thought, and tilted her chin back as James took her in his arms."**

"That still hasn't been explained" Mary-Lynette said, an annoyed look crossing her face, her forehead creasing into a frown.

"I'm going to explain it in the book because it's crucial for Poppy" James replied.

**"This time the double sting at her neck hurt good.**

**But best was when James's mind touched hers. The feeling of oneness, of suddenly being whole-it spread through her like starshine.**

**Once again she had the sense that they were melting together, dissolving and merging everywhere they touched. She could feel her own pulse echoing through him.**

**Closer, loser ... and then she felt a pulling-back.**

**_James? What's wrong?_**

**_Nothing_****, he told her, but Poppy could sense that it wasn't quite true. He was trying to weaken the growing bond between them ... but why?**

**_Poppy, I just don't want to force you into anything. What we're feeling is-artificial..."_**

"No it's not" Hannah said from across the room half glaring at James.

"Again Hannah, why do you care so much?" Thea asked softly.

"I really don't know Thea, I just get the impression that what they have is something unbreakable and that no-one should try and stop them from being happy; together" Hannah replied looking distant and sad.

"Are you okay?" Poppy asked hating seeing her upset but was flattered she cared so much.

"I think so" Hannah said smiling.

**"Artificial? It was the realest thing that she'd ever experienced. Realer than real. In the midst of joy, Poppy felt a surge of hurt anger at James.**

**_I don't mean it like that_****, he said, and there was desperation in the thought. ****_It's just that you can't resist the blood-bond. You couldn't resist it if you hated me. It isn't fair..._**

**Poppy didn't care about fair. ****_If you can't resist it, why are you trying?_**** she asked him triumphantly.**

**She heard something like mental laughter, and then they were both clinging together as a wave of pure emotion swept them.**

**The blood-bond, Poppy thought when James raised his head at last. It doesn't matter if he won't say he loves me-we're bonded now. Nothing can change that.**

**And in a moment or so she would seal that bond by taking his blood. Try and resist that, she thought, and was startled when James laughed softly. "Reading my mind again?"**

**"Not exactly. You're projecting-and you're very good at it. You're going to be a strong telepath." Interesting . . . but right now Poppy didn't feel strong. She suddenly felt kitten-weak. Limp as a wilting flower. She needed ...**

**"I know," James whispered. Still supporting her, he started to lift one wrist to his mouth.**

**Poppy stopped him with a restraining hand.**

**"James? How many times do we have to do this before I-change?"**

**"Once more, I think," James said quietly. "I took a lot this time, and I want you to do the same. And the next time we do it ..."**

**I'll die, Poppy thought. Well, at least I know how long I have left as a human.**

**James's lips slid back to reveal long, delicate fangs, and he struck at his own wrist. There was something snakelike in the motion. Blood welled up, the color of syrup in a can of cherry preserves.**

**Just as Poppy was leaning forward, lips parted, there was a knock at the door."**

Poppy and James groaned. "Not again" They said in unison.

**"Poppy and James froze guiltily.**

**The knock came again. In her muddled and weakened state, Poppy couldn't seem to make herself move. The only thought that resounded in her brain was Oh, please. Please don't let it be ...**

**The door opened.**

**Phil.**

**Phillip was already speaking as he poked his head in. "Poppy, are you awake? Mom says-"**

**He broke off abruptly, then lunged for the lightswitch on the wall. Suddenly the room was illuminated.**

**Oh, terrific, Poppy thought in frustration. Phil was peering through the filmy draperies around the bed. Poppy peered back at him.**

**"What is going-on?" he said in a voice that would have gotten him the lead role in The Ten Commandments. And then, before Poppy could gather enough wits to answer, he leaned in and grabbed James by the arm.**

**"Phil, don't," Poppy said. "Phil, you idiot ..."**

**"We had a deal," Phil snarled at James. "And you broke it."**

**James was gripping Phil's arms now, as ungently as Phil was grasping him. Poppy had the dismayed feeling that they were going to start head-butting each other.**

**Oh, Lord, if she could only think straight. She felt so brainless.**

**"You've got the wrong idea," James said to Phil through clenched teeth.**

**"The wrong idea? I come in here and find the two of you in bed, with all the curtains drawn, and you're telling me I've got the wrong idea?"**

**"On the bed", Poppy interjected. Phil ignored her."**

"It still sounds bad" David said, holding back laughter. Maggie however was not so gracious.

**"James shook Phil. He did it quite easily and with an economy of movement, but Phil's head snapped back and forth. Poppy realized that James was not at his most rational right now. She remembered the metal chair leg and decided it was time to intervene.**

**Let go," she said, reaching in between the two boys to grab for hands. Anybody's hands. "Come on, you guys!" And then, desperately, "Phil, I know you don't understand, but James is trying to help me-"**

**"Help you? I don't think so." And then to James: "Look at her. Can't you see that this stupid pretending is making her sicker? Every time I find her with you, she's white as a sheet. You're just making things worse."**

**"You don't know anything about it," James snarled in Phil's face. But Poppy was still processing something several sentences back.**

**"Stupid? Pretending?" she said. Her voice wasn't very loud but everything stopped.**

**Both boys looked at her.**

**Everyone made mistakes then. Later, Poppy would realize that if any of them had kept their heads, what happened next could have been avoided. But none of them did.**

**"I'm sorry," Phil said to Poppy. "I didn't want to tell you-"**

**"Shut up," James said savagely.**

**"But I have to. This-jerk-is just playing with you. He admitted it to me. He said he felt sorry for you, and he thinks that pretending he likes you makes you feel better. He's got an ego that would fill Dodger Stadium."**

"Hey" James said, pouting. Everybody laughed at his expression. Poppy however was glaring at him. "What?" He asked, genuinely surprised.

"Don't hurt him" She said still glaring.

"Poppy, it's a book, I can't change what I may or may not do" He reasoned still looking slightly scared but a little sheepish.

_I know that but I don't want to see him hurt_ Poppy thought. _Besides, your expression was just too funny. _

James shot her a dirty look.

**""Pretending?" Poppy said again, sitting back. There was a buzzing in her head and an eruption gathering in her chest.**

**"Poppy, he's crazy," James said. "Listen-"**

**But Poppy wasn't listening. The problem was that she could feel how sorry Phil was. It was much more convincing than anger. And Phillip, honest, straightforward, trustworthy Phillip, almost never lied.**

**He wasn't lying now. Which meant ... that James must be.**

**Eruption time.**

**"You . . ." she whispered to James. "You . . ." She couldn't think of a swear word bad enough. Somehow she felt more hurt, more betrayed than she had ever felt before. She had thought she knew James; she had trusted him absolutely. Which made the betrayal all the worse. "So it was all pretending? Is that it?"**

**Some inner voice was telling her to hold on and think. That she was in no state to make crucial decisions. But she was also in no state to listen to inner voices. Her own anger kept her from deciding if she had any good reason to be angry."**

"You should never make big decisions with emotions clouding your judgment" Rashel commented. _Mmm… maybe she's more interested in this book than she lets on_ Poppy thought looking at James for confirmation.

James shook his head. "I can't read her thoughts; she's very good at shielding them" He whispered in her ear, annoyance clear in his tone.

**""You just felt sorry for me?" she whispered, and suddenly all the fury and grief that she'd been suppressing for the last day and a half flooded out. She was blind with pain, and nothing mattered except making James hurt as much as she hurt.**

**James was breathing hard, speaking rapidly. "Poppy-this is why I didn't want Phil to know-"**

**"And no wonder," Poppy raged. "And no wonder you wouldn't say you loved me," she went on, not even caring that Phillip was listening. "And no wonder you would do all that other stuff, but you never even kissed me. Well, I don't want your pity-"**

**"What other stuff? All what other stuff?" Phil shouted. "I'm gonna kill you, Rasmussen!"**

"I really put my foot in it, didn't I?" Poppy said, shaking her head_. I'm probably going to send you away in the book; I don't want to do that_ Poppy thought sadly.

"Hey, it's okay, please don't be sad" James said, hugging her closer to him.

"Are you guys having a private conversation, _again_?" Eric asked laughing. "We're going to miss everything if you keep doing that" He continued still laughing.

Thea elbowed him in the ribs a playful smile on her lips. "Don't you start teasing them too"

Eric studied her face looking for any signs that she wasn't joking. Finding none, he smiled back; still studying her face like it was a book.

James cleared his throat. "Having your own private conversation there Eric?" He teased then laughed when Thea blushed and narrowed her eyes at him.

**"He tore free of James and swung at him. James ducked so that the fist just grazed his hair. Phil swung again and James twisted sideways and grabbed him from behind in a headlock.**

**Poppy heard running footsteps in the hall. "What's happening?" her mother gasped in dismay, regarding the scene in Poppy's bedroom.**

**At almost the same instant Cliff appeared behind Poppy's mother. "What's all the shouting?" he asked, his jaw particularly square.**

**"You're the one who's putting her in danger," James was snarling in Phillip's ear. "Right now." He looked feral. Savage.**

**Inhuman.**

**"Let go of my brother!" Poppy yelled. All at once her eyes were swimming with tears."**

James tensed beside Poppy. "What?" She asked, worried it might be to do with her brother's safety.

"I made you sad" He replied looking concerned that he had caused tears to well in her eyes.

"Jamie, my emotions are all over the place and I'm not thinking straight" She replied, hating seeing him sad. "You can't help that" She continued leaning into his side. He smiled in response.

"Can I just say?" Gillian interrupted, everyone's eyes fixed on her momentarily distracted from the James-and-Poppy-show. "I don't think you should worry about what is going to happen in this book because it's pretty clear that the future has been altered from here on. Also, who's sitting next to you, in the circle of your arms?" Gillian finished a sarcastic smile on her face. **[*]**

"Thanks for the logic, Gillian" David said smiling. Gillian looked shocked he was paying her attention much less _talking_ to her so smiled back shyly.

_Mm… I sense another theme_ Poppy thought.

"Me too" James whispered in her ear a grin on his face.

**"Oh, my God-darling," her mother said. In two steps she was beside the bed and holding Poppy. "You boys get out of here."**

**The savagery drained out of James's expression, and he loosened his hold on Phillip. "Look, I'm sorry. I have to stay. Poppy ..."**

**Phillip slammed an elbow into his stomach.**

**It might not have hurt James as much as it would a human, but Poppy saw the fury sweep over his face as he straightened from doubling up. He lifted Phil off his feet and threw him headfirst in the general direction of Poppy's dresser."**

"Yes, the annoying human got hurt" Ash cheered smirking.

Mary-Lynette glared at him again, a silent reminder of her threat.

Poppy was furious. "Don't worry Mary-Lynette you won't have to hurt him, not if I get there first" She hissed through her teeth.

"I really hate you, you know?" Mary-Lynette said still looking angry.

"Oh boohoo, as if I care" Ash replied settling back into his expression of boredom.

Mary-Lynette turned her attention back to the book. Out of the corner of her eye, Poppy saw Ash glance back at her with an expression of confusion on his face. _What?_ Poppy thought. _Maybe he cares more about what people think than he lets on. _

**"Poppy's mother let out a cry. Cliff jumped in between Phil and James.**

**"That's enough!" he roared. Then, to Phil: "Are you all right?" And to James: "What's this all about?"**

**Phil was rubbing his head dazedly. James said nothing. Poppy couldn't speak.**

**"All right, it doesn't matter," Cliff said. "I guess everybody's a little jumpy right now. But you'd better go on home, James."**

**James looked at Poppy.**

**Poppy, throbbing all over like an aching tooth, turned her back on him. She burrowed into her mother's embrace.**

**"I'll be back," James said quietly. It might have been meant as a promise, but it sounded like a threat.**

**"Not for a while, you won't," Cliff said in a military command voice. Gazing over her mother's arm, Poppy could see that there was blood on Phillip's blond hair."**

"Oh God" James said, hanging his head.

"Please don't beat yourself up about this, remember what Gillian said" Poppy said resting her head on his shoulder.

**"I think everybody needs a cooling-off period. Now, come on, move."**

**He led James out. Poppy sniffled and shivered, trying to ignore both the waves of giddiness that swept over her and the agitated murmuring of all the voices in her head. The stereo went on blasting out madcore stomping music from England.**

**In the next two days James called eight times.**

**Poppy actually picked up the phone the first time. It was after midnight when her private line rang, and she responded automatically, still half-asleep.**

**"Poppy, don't hang up," James said.**

**Poppy hung up. A moment later the phone rang again.**

**"Poppy, if you don't want to die, you've got to listen to me."**

**"That's blackmail. You're sick, " Poppy said, clutching the handset. Her tongue felt thick and her head ached.**

**"It's just the truth. Poppy, listen. You didn't take any blood today. I weakened you, and you didn't get anything in exchange. And that could kill you."**

**Poppy heard the words, but they didn't seem real. She found herself ignoring them, retreating into a foggy state where thought was impossible. "I don't care."**

**"You do care, and if you could think, you'd know that. It's the change that's doing this. You're completely messed up mentally. You're too paranoid and illogical and crazy to know you're paranoid and illogical and crazy."**

**It was suspiciously like what Poppy had realized earlier. She was aware, dimly, that she was acting the way Marissa Schaffer had after drinking a six pack of beer at Jan Nedjar's New Year's party. Making a ranting fool of herself. But she couldn't seem to stop."**

"You actually did that?" Jez asked, the idea amused her for some reason.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just a cheap drunk" Poppy replied laughing herself.

**"I just want to know one thing," she said. "Is it true that you said that stuff to Phillip?"**

**She heard James let his breath out. "It's true that I said it. But what I said wasn't true. It was just to get him off my back."**

**By now Poppy was too upset to even want to calm down.**

**"Why should I believe somebody whose whole life is a lie?" she said, and hung up again as the first tears spilled.**

**All the next day she stayed in her state of foggy denial. Nothing seemed real, not the fight with James, not James's warning, and not her illness. Especially not her illness. Her mind found a way to accept the special treatment she was getting from everyone without dwelling on the reason for the treatment.**

**She even managed to disregard her mother's whispered comments to Phil about how she was going downhill so fast. How poor Poppy was getting pale, getting weak, getting worse. And only Poppy knew that she could now hear conversations held in the hallway as clearly as if they were in her own room.**

**All her senses were sharpened, even as her mind was dulled. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was startled by how white she was, her skin translucent as candle wax. Her eyes so green and fierce that they burned.**

**The other six times James called, Poppy's mother told him Poppy was resting.**

**Cliff fixed the broken trim on Poppy's dresser. "Who would have thought the kid was that strong?" he said.**

**James flipped his cellular phone shut and banged a fist on the Integra's dashboard. It was Thursday afternoon.**

**I love you. That's what he should have said to Poppy. And now it was too late-, she wouldn't even talk to him.**

**Why hadn't he said it? His reasons seemed stupid now. So he hadn't taken advantage of Poppy's innocence and gratitude ... well, bravo. All he'd done was tap her veins and break her heart."**

_At least I know you love me now, that's all that matters_ Poppy thought smiling to herself.

**"All he'd done was hasten her death.**

**But there wasn't time to think about it now. Right now he had a masquerade to attend.**

**He got out of the car and gave his windbreaker a twitch as he walked toward the sprawling ranchstyle house.**

**He unlocked and opened the door without calling to announce his presence. He didn't need to announce it; his mother would sense him.**

**Inside, it was all cathedral ceilings and fashionably bare walls. The one oddity was that every one of the many skylights was covered with elegant custom made drapes. This made the interior seem spacious but dim. Almost cavernous.**

**"James," his mother said, coming from the back wing. She had jet-black hair with a sheen like lacquer and a perfect figure that was emphasized rather than disguised by her silver-and-gold embroidered wrap. Her eyes were cool gray and heavily lashed, like James's. She kissed the air beside his cheek.**

**"I got your message," James said. "What do you want?"**

**"I'd really rather wait until your father gets home..."**

**"Mom, I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry. I've got things to do-I haven't even fed today."**

**"It shows," his mother said. She regarded him for a moment without blinking. Then she sighed, turning toward the living room. "At least, let's sit down... You've been a little agitated, haven't you, these last few days?"**

**James sat on the crimson-dyed suede couch. Now was the test of his acting ability. If he could get through the next minute without his mother sensing the truth, he'd be home free.**

**"I'm sure Dad told you why," he said evenly.**

**"Yes. Little Poppy. It's very sad, isn't it?" The shade of the single treelike floor lamp was deep red, and ruby light fell across half his mother's face.**

**"I was upset at first, but I'm pretty much over it now," James said. He kept his voice dull and concentrated on sending nothing-nothing-through his aura. He could feel his mother lightly probing the edges of his mind. Like an insect gently caressing with an antenna, or a snake tasting the air with its black forked tongue.**

**"I'm surprised" his mother said. "I thought you liked her."**

**"I did. But, after all, they're not really people, are they?" He considered a moment, then said, "It's sort of like losing a pet. I guess I'll just have to find another one."**

**It was a bold move, quoting the party line. James willed every muscle to stay relaxed as he felt the thought-tendrils tighten suddenly, coiling around him, looking for a chink in his armor. He thought very hard-about Michaela Vasquez. Trying to project just the right amount of negligent fondness.**

**It worked. The probing tendrils slipped away from his mind, and his mother settled back gracefully and smiled.**

**"I'm glad you're taking it so well. But if you ever feel that you'd like to talk to someone ... your father knows some very good therapists."**

**Vampire therapists, she meant. To screw his head on straight about how humans were just for feeding on.**

**"I know you want to avoid trouble as much as I do," she added. "It reflects on the family, you see."**

**"Sure," James said, and shrugged. "I've got to go now. Tell Dad I said hi, okay?"**

**He kissed the air beside her cheek.**

**"Oh, by the way," she said as he turned toward the door. "Your cousin Ash will be coming next week. I think he'd like to stay with you at the apartment-and I'm sure you'd like some company there."**

**Over my unbreathing body, James thought. He'd forgotten all about Ash's threat to visit. But now wasn't the time to argue. He walked out feeling like a juggler with too many balls in the air."**

"Aw, you don't want me around?" Ash asked teasingly smirking slightly like the cat who got the cream.

"No, I don't" James said menacingly his glare murderous.

**"Back in his car he picked up the cellular phone, hesitated, then snapped it shut without turning it on. Calling wasn't any good. It was time to change his strategy.**

**All right, then. No more half measures. A serious offensive-aimed where it would do the most good.**

**He thought for a few minutes, then drove to McDonnell Drive, parking just a few houses away from where Poppy lived.**

**And then he waited.**

**He was prepared to sit there all night if necessary, but he didn't have to. Just around sunset the garage door opened and a white Volkswagen Jetta backed out. James saw a blond head in the driver's seat**

**Hi, Phil. Nice to see you. When the Jetta pulled away, he followed it."**

"Good, you're going to talk some sense into him" Mary-Lynette said.

"That's the end of the chapter" Gillian said, passing it to David.

**A/N:**

**Took a little longer than normal to write, sorry guys. **

**[*] Thanks to PJO for this idea! (The bit about the James-and-Poppy-show)**

**Please review, it means a lot to me!**

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	9. Chapter 9: Reading Chapter 8

Chapter 9: Reading Chapter 8

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. **

**All rights go to L.J Smith. **

**I own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The things in italics are Poppy's thoughts.**

**On with the story…**

"Okay then, Chapter 8:" David read.

**"When the Jetta turned into the parking lot of a 7-Eleven, James smiled. There was a nice isolated area behind the store, and it was getting dark.**

**He drove his own car around back, then got out to watch the store entrance. When Phil came out with a bag, he sprang on him from behind.**

**Phil yelled and fought, dropping the bag. It didn't matter. The sun had gone down and James's power was at full strength.**

**He dragged Phil to the back of the store and put him facing the wall beside a Dumpster. The classic police frisking position.**

**"I'm going to let go now," he said. "Don't try to run away. That would be a mistake."**

**Phil went tense and motionless at the sound of his voice. "I don't want to run away. I want to smash your face in, Rasmussen."**

**"Go ahead and try." James was going to add, Make my night, but he reconsidered. He let go of Phil, who turned around and regarded him with utter loathing.**

**"What's the matter? Run out of girls to jump?" he said, breathing hard.**

**James gritted his teeth. Trading insults wasn't going to do any good, but he could already tell it was going to be hard to keep his temper. Phil had that effect on him. "I didn't bring you out here to fight. I brought you to ask you something. Do you care about Poppy?"**

**Phil said, "I'll take stupid questions for five hundred, Alex," and loosened his shoulder as if getting ready for a punch.**

**"Because if you do, you'll get her to talk to me. You were the one who convinced her not to see me, and now you've got to convince her that she has to see me."**

**Phil looked around the parking lot, as if calling for somebody to witness this insanity.**

**James spoke slowly and dearly, enunciating each word. "There is something I can do to help her."**

**"Because you're Don Juan, right? You're gonna heal her with your love." The words were flippant, but Phil's voice was shaky with sheer hatred. Not just hatred for James, but for a universe that would give Poppy cancer."**

"Yes, he is going to heal me, deal with it" Poppy said defensively.

**"No. You've got it completely wrong. Look, you think I was making out with her, or trifling with her affections or whatever. That's not what was going on at all. I let you think that because I was tired of getting the third degree from you-and because I didn't want you to know what we were doing."**

**"Sure, sure," Phil said in a voice filled with equal measures of sarcasm and contempt. "So what were you doing? Drugs?"**

"I wonder what would scare him more" Thea asked, giggling.

"Probably both" Poppy answered. _He is, after all, my big brother and he just wants to look out for me_ Poppy thought. _If only he could see how happy James makes me and accept him for what he is. _

"You'll just have to make him see that when we get back" James said smiling. "Because I'm _never_ letting go of this" He whispered in her ear causing her to shiver then hit him on the arm for surprising her.

**"This"**

**James had learned something from his first encounter with Poppy in the hospital. Show and tell should be done in that order. This time he didn't say anything; he just grabbed Phil by the hair and jerked his head back.**

**There was only a single light behind the store, but it was enough to give Phil a good view of the bared fangs looming over him. And it was more than enough for James, with his night vision, to see Phillip's green eyes dilate as he stared.**

**Phillip yelled, then went limp.**

**Not with fear, James knew. He wasn't a coward. With the shock of disbelief turning to belief.**

**Phillip swore. "You're a ..."**

**"Right." James let him go.**

**Phil almost lost his balance. He grabbed at the Dumpster for support. "I don't believe it."**

**"Yes, you do," James said. He hadn't retracted his fangs, and he knew that his eyes were shining silver. Phil had to believe it with James standing right in front of him.**

**Phil apparently had the same idea. He was staring at James as if he wanted to look away, but couldn't. The color had drained out of his face, and he kept swallowing as if he were going to be sick.**

**"God," he said finally. "I knew there was something wrong with you. Weird wrong. I could never figure out why you gave me the creeps. So this is it."**

**I disgust him, James realized. It's not just hatred anymore. He thinks I'm less than human."**

"Phil" Poppy hissed through her teeth. "Don't ever think that, he isn't less than human and you certainly can't talk about him like that, I won't have it" She finished glaring at the book, David had the sense to look scared.

"Poppy" James said soothingly. "It's just a book, it's not going happen and I understand his reaction. Not everyone can react as well as you" He finished smirking.

Poppy sighed. _I know_.

**"It didn't augur well for the rest of James's plan.**

**"Now do you understand how I can help Poppy?"**

**Phil shook his head slowly. He was leaning against the wall, one hand still on the Dumpster.**

**James felt impatience rise in his chest. "Poppy has a disease. Vampires don't get diseases. Do you need a road map?"**

**Phillip's expression said he did.**

**"If," James said through his teeth, "I exchange enough blood with Poppy to turn her into a vampire, she won't have cancer anymore. Every cell in her body will change and she'll end up a perfect specimen: flawless, disease-free. She'll have powers that humans don't even dream of. And, incidentally, she'll be immortal."**

**There was a long, long silence as James watched this sink in with Phillip. Phil's thoughts were too jumbled and kaleidoscopic for James to make anything of them, but Phil's eyes got wider and his face more ashen.**

**At last Phil said, "You can't do that to her."**

**It was the way he said it. Not as if he were protesting an idea because it was too radical, too new. Not the knee-jerk overreaction that Poppy had had.**

**He said it with absolute conviction and utmost horror. As if James were threatening to steal Poppy's soul.**

**"It's the only way to save her life," James said.**

**Phil shook his head slowly again, eyes huge and trancelike. "No. No. She wouldn't want it. Not at that cost."**

"It's the only way to save me Phil" Poppy said softly. "Please accept it"

"I think he will" Thea assured. "I mean, he's your brother, he wants to protect you in any way he can but he also wants what's best for you. So in the end, he will side with James" She explained. Eric looked impressed at her logic and smiled.

"Thanks Thea" Poppy said, got up and hugged her.

"Anything for a friend" Thea replied, hugging her back.

**"What cost?" James was more than impatient now, he was defensive and exasperated. If he'd realized that this was going to turn into a philosophical debate, he would have picked somewhere less public. As it was, he had to keep all his senses on the alert for possible intruders.**

**Phil let go of the Dumpster and stood on his own two feet. There was fear mixed with the horror in his eyes, but he faced James squarely.**

**"It's just-there are some things that humans think are more important than just staying alive," he said. "You'll find that out."**

**I don't believe this, James thought. He sounds like a junior space captain talking to the alien invaders in a B movie. You won't find Earth people quite the easy mark you imagine.**

**Aloud, he said, "Are you nuts? Look, Phil, I was born in San Francisco. I'm not some bug-eyed monster from Alpha Centauri. I eat Wheaties for breakfast."**

**"And what do you eat for a midnight snack?" Phil asked, his green eyes somber and almost childlike.**

**"Or are the fangs just for decoration?"**

**Walked right into that one, James's brain told him. He looked away. "Okay. Touché. There are some differences. I never said I was a human. But I'm not some kind of-"**

**"If you're not a monster, then I don't know what is." **

Poppy hissed through her teeth. _Nobody speaks to James like that. I don't care that it's Phil; James doesn't deserve to be spoken to like that_.

"Oohh, defensive" Morgead sang laughing.

Poppy frowned at him, momentarily confused. _Oh, he's a vampire. Should've known, I guess. Most of the people in this room probably are._

Morgead laughed again. "Well done" He said patronizingly.

**"Don't kill him, James counseled himself frantically. You have to convince him. "Phil, we're not like what you see at the movies. We're not all-powerful. We can't dematerialize through walls or travel through time, and we don't need to kill to feed. We're not evil, at least not all of us. We're not damned."**

**"You're unnatural," Phillip said softly, and James could feel that he meant it from his heart. "You're wrong. You shouldn't exist."**

**"Because we're higher up on the food chain than you?"**

**"Because people weren't meant to ... feed ... on other people."**

**James didn't say that his people didn't think of Phillip's people as people. He said, "We only do what we have to do to survive. And Poppy's already agreed."**

**Phillip froze. "No. She wouldn't want to become like you."**

**"She wants to stay alive-or at least, she did, before she got mad at me. Now she's just irrational because she hasn't got enough of my blood in her to finish changing her. Thanks to you." He paused, then said deliberately, "Have you ever seen a three-week-old corpse, Phil? Because that's what she's going to become if I don't get to her."**

Poppy flinched minutely. A few people glanced worriedly at her. _Great, I'm probably going to turn into a three-week-old corpse because of my irrational anger at James. I know I'm stubborn, but really?_

"I wouldn't let that happen" James vowed. Poppy looked into his eyes and knew that was the truth. That he'd always be there to save her.

**Phil's face twisted. He whirled around and slammed a fist into the metal side of the Dumpster. "Don't you think I know that? I've been living with that since Monday night."**

**James stood still, heart pounding. Feeling the anguish Phil was giving off and the pain of Phil's injured hand. It was several seconds before he was able to say calmly, "And you think that's better than what I can give her?"**

**"It's lousy. It stinks. But, yes, it's better than turning into something that hunts people. That uses people. That's why all the girlfriends, isn't it?"**

**Once again, James couldn't answer right away. Phil's problem, he was realizing, was that Phil was far too smart for his own good. He thought too much. "Yeah. That's why all the girlfriends," he said at last, tiredly. Trying not to see this from Phil's point of view.**

**"Just tell me one thing, Rasmussen." Phillip straightened and looked him dead in the eye. "Did you"-he stopped and swallowed-"feed on Poppy before she got sick?"**

**"No."**

**Phil let out his breath. "That's good. Because if you had, I'd have killed you."**

**James believed him. He was much stronger than Phil, much faster, and he'd never been afraid of a human before. But just at that moment he had no doubt that Phil would somehow have found a way to do it."**

"That's what older brothers are for" Maggie said. "Even if they are annoyingly protective" She finished sighing.

Some people in the room laughed, Poppy included.

**"Look, there's something you don't understand," he said. "Poppy did want this, and it's something we've already started. She's only just beginning to change; if she dies now, she won't become a vampire. But she might not die all the way, either. She could end up a walking corpse. A zombie, you know? Mindless. Body rotting, but immortal."**

**Phil's mouth quivered with revulsion. "You're just saying that to scare me."**

**James looked away. "I've seen it happen."**

**"I don't believe you."**

**"I've seen it firsthand!" Dimly James realized he was yelling and that he'd grabbed Phil by the shirtfront. He was out of control-and he didn't care. "I've seen it happen to somebody I cared about, all right?"**

"Oh Jamie" Poppy sighed. _This is the story that caused you pain earlier, isn't it?_

James nodded.

"James" Thea said sadly.

James chuckled weakly. "It's not that bad"

"I still hate to see you upset, you're family" Thea said smiling slightly. Eric suddenly grabbed her hand in comfort. Poppy guessed he didn't really know why he did that but he just didn't want to see her upset. Thea smiled kindly at him and he let go of her hand.

_James has so many relatives; I wonder who else in the room is related to him._ Poppy thought.

**"And then, because Phil was still shaking his head: "I was only four years old and I had a nanny. All the rich kids in San Francisco have nannies. She was human."**

**"Let go," Phil muttered, pulling at James's wrist. He was breathing hard-he didn't want to hear this.**

**"I was crazy about her. She gave me everything my mom didn't. Love, attention-she was never too busy. I called her Miss Emma."**

**"Let go."**

**"But my parents thought I was too attached to her. So they took me on a little vacation-and they didn't let me feed. Not for three days. By the time they brought me back, I was starving. Then they sent Miss Emma up to put me to bed."**

"Oh no" Poppy breathed. She looked up at James's face; pain etched in every pore and tears stinging in his eyes. She leaned into his side, wrapping her arms round his waist and leaning her head on his shoulders. It was the only comfort she could offer, not nearly enough to erase all that anguish but just enough to make him smile.

**"Phil had stopped fighting now. He stood with his head bowed and turned to one side so he wouldn't have to look at James. James threw his words at the averted face.**

**"I was only four. I couldn't stop myself. And the thing is, I wanted to. If you'd asked me who I'd rather have die, me or Miss Emma, I'd've said me. But when you're starving, you lose control. So I fed on her, and all the time I was crying and trying to stop. And when I finally could stop, I knew it was too late."**

**There was a pause. James suddenly realized that his fingers were locked in an agonizing cramp. He let go of Phil's shirt slowly. Phil said nothing.**

**"She was just lying there on the floor. I thought, wait, if I give her my own blood she'll be a vampire, and everything will be okay." He wasn't yelling anymore. He wasn't even really speaking to Phillip, but staring out into the dark parking lot. "So I cut myself and let the blood run into her mouth. She swallowed some of it before my parents came up and stopped me. But not enough."**

**A longer pause-and James remembered why he was telling the story. He looked at Phillip.**

**"She died that night but not all the way. The two different kinds of blood were fighting inside her. So by morning she was walking around again-but she wasn't Miss Emma anymore. She drooled and her skin was gray and her eyes were flat like a corpse's. And when she started to-rot-my dad took her out to Inverness and buried her. He killed her first." Bile rose in James's throat and he added almost in a whisper, "I hope he killed her first."**

"That is…" Mary-Lynette said, at a loss for words. "I can't believe you had to go through that" She continued shooting a sympathetic glance in James's direction.

James nodded gratefully. "I've never told anyone that before" He confessed. "It felt good to share it"

"A problem shared is a problem halved" Hannah quoted and smiled at James.

**"Phil slowly turned around to look at him. For the first time that evening, there was something other than horror and fear in his face. Something like pity, James thought.**

**James took a deep breath. After thirteen years of silence he'd finally told the story to Phillip North, of all people. But it was no good wondering about the absurdity. He had a point to drive home.**

**"So take my advice. If you don't convince Poppy to see me, make sure they don't do an autopsy on her. You don't want her walking around without her internal organs. And have a wooden stake ready for the time when you can't stand to look at her anymore."**

**The pity was gone from Phil's eyes. His mouth was a hard, trembling line.**

**"We won't let her turn into ... some kind of halfalive abomination," he said. "Or a vampire, either. I'm sorry about what happened to your Miss Emma, but it doesn't change anything."**

**"Poppy should be the one to decide-"**

**But Phillip had reached his limit, and now he was simply shaking his head. "Just keep away from my sister," he said. "That's all I want. If you do, I'll leave you alone. And if you don't-"**

**"What?"**

**"I'm going to tell everybody in El Camino what you are. I'm going to call the police and the mayor and I'm going to stand in the middle of the street and yell it."**

**James felt his hands go icy cold. What Phil didn't realize was that he'd just made it James's duty to kill him. It wasn't just that any human who stumbled on Night World secrets had to die, but that one actively threatening to tell about the Night World had to die immediately, no questions asked, no mercy given."**

"That's why you should have killed Poppy" Quinn said icily, no emotion visible on his face.

"Quinn, we have been through this. No human here is going to die because of your malicious ways." Thierry said calmly.

Quinn's answering glare was murderous, past the point of fury. He had the sense to stay where he was seated though, or Poppy was sure someone would've got hurt.

**"Suddenly James was so tired he couldn't see straight.**

**"Get out of here, Phil," he said in a voice drained of emotion and vitality both. "Now. And if you really want to protect Poppy, you won't tell anybody anything. Because they'll trace it back and find out that Poppy knows the secrets, too. And then they'll kill her-after bringing her in for questioning. It won't be fun."**

**"Who're 'they'? Your parents?"**

**"The Night People. We're all around you, Phil. Anybody you know could be one-including the mayor. So keep your mouth shut."**

**Phillip looked at him through narrowed eyes. Then he turned and walked to the front of the store.**

**James couldn't remember when he'd felt so empty. Everything he'd done had turned out wrong. Poppy was now in more kinds of danger than he could count.**

**And Phillip North thought he was unnatural and evil. What Phil didn't know was that most of the time James thought the same thing."**

Poppy hit James on the arm. "Ow, what was that for?" James asked.

"For doubting yourself" Poppy answered glaring. "You're not evil or unnatural, okay?"

"Okay" James said smiling softly.

**"Phillip got halfway home before he remembered that he'd dropped the bag with Poppy's cranberry juice and wild cherry Popsicles. Poppy had hardly**

**eaten in the last two days, and when she did get hungry, it was for something weird.**

**No-something red, he realized as he paid for a second time at the 7-Eleven. He felt a sick lurch in his stomach. Everything she wanted lately was red and at least semiliquid.**

**Did Poppy realize that herself?**

**He studied her when he went into her bedroom to give her a Popsicle. Poppy spent most of the time in bed now.**

**And she was so pale and still. Her green eyes were the only alive thing about her. They dominated her face, glittering with an almost savage awareness.**

**Cliff and Phil's mother were talking about getting round-the-clock nurses to be with her.**

**"Don't like the Popsicle?" Phil asked, dragging a chair to sit beside her bed.**

**Poppy was eyeing the thing with distaste. She took a tiny lick and grimaced.**

**Phillip watched her.**

**Another lick. Then she put the Popsicle into an empty plastic cup on her nightstand. "I don't know ... I just don't feel hungry," she said, leaning back against the pillows. "Sorry you had to go out for nothing."**

**"No problem." God, she looks sick, Phil thought. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"**

**Eyes shut, Poppy shook her head. A very small motion. "You're a good brother," she said distantly.**

**She used to be so alive, Phil thought. Dad called her Kilowatt or Eveready. She used to radiate energy."**

James chuckled. "You are _really_ hyperactive Poppy"

Poppy laughed along with him. The noise was tainted with worry though, worry that she was far too stubborn for her own good. Worry at what Phil would do if she actually died. Worry at what _James_ would do. _Oh God, James. How was he going to cope, I can't just __**leave**__ him. I don't know if I can. Pull yourself together, kid. It's not going to happen, you can prevent death, and you can limit mistakes. All because of this book. _

Poppy felt slight pressure on her left hand, snapping her out of her internal argument. It was James's hand. She looked up to see a fierce ambition clear in his eyes.

"You're going to live Poppy, I promise" James said and brought her hand up to his lips, lightly kissing her upturned palm. Poppy grinned back at him, joy flowing through her_. I know._

**"Without in the least meaning to, he found himself saying, "I saw James Rasmussen today."**

**Poppy stiffened. Her hands on the bedspread formed not fists, but claws. "He'd better keep away from here!"**

**There was something subtly wrong about her reaction. Something not-Poppy. Poppy could get fierce, sure, but Phil had never heard that animal tone in her voice before.**

**A picture flashed through Phil's mind. A creature from Night of the Living Dead, walking even though its intestines were spilling out. A living corpse like James's Miss Emma.**

**Was that really what would happen if Poppy died right now? Was she that much changed already?**

**"I'll scratch his eyes out if he comes around here," Poppy said, her fingers working on the spread like a cat kneading.**

**"Poppy-he told me the truth about what he really is."**

**Strangely, Poppy had no reaction. "He's scum," she said. "He's a reptile."**

**Something about her voice made Phillip's flesh creep. "And I told him you would never want to become something like that."**

**"I wouldn't," Poppy said shortly. "Not if it meant hanging around with him for eternity. I don't want to see him ever again."**

**Phil stared at her for a long moment. Then he leaned back and shut his eyes, one thumb jammed against his temple where the ache was worst.**

**Not just subtly wrong. He didn't want to believe it, but Poppy was strange. Irrational. And now that he thought about it, she'd been getting stranger every hour since James had been thrown out.**

**So maybe she was in some eerie in-between state. Not a human and not a vampire. And not able to think dearly. Just as James had said.**

**Poppy should be the one to decide.**

**There was something he had to ask her.**

**"Poppy?" He waited until she looked at him, her green eyes large and unblinking. "When we talked, James said that you'd agreed to let him-change you. Before you got mad at him. Is that right?"**

**Poppy's eyebrows lifted. "I'm mad at him," she confirmed, as if this was the only part of the question she'd processed. "And you know why I like you? Because you've always hated him. Now we both hate him."**

"Argh" Poppy groaned. "Stupid, irrational thoughts"

"It'll all be okay Poppy, just you see" Hannah said enthusiastically.

"Thanks Hannah" Poppy sighed, hoping.

**"Phil thought for a moment, then spoke carefully. "Okay. But when you weren't mad at him, back then, did you want to turn into-what he is?"**

**Suddenly a gleam of rationality showed in Poppy's eyes. "I just didn't want to die, " she said. "I was so scared-and I wanted to live. If the doctors could do anything for me, I'd try that. But they can't." She was sitting up now, staring into space as if she saw something terrible there. "You don't know what it feels like to know you're going to die," she whispered.**

**Waves of chills washed over Phillip. No, he didn't know that, but he did know-he could suddenly picture vividly-what it was going to be like for him after Poppy died. How empty the world was going to be without her.**

**For a long time they both sat in silence.**

**Then Poppy fell back onto the pillows again. Phillip could see pastel blue smudges under her eyes, as if the conversation had exhausted her. "I don't think it matters," she said in a faint but frighteningly cheerful voice. "I'm not going to die anyway. Doctors don't know everything."**

**So that's how she's dealing with it, Phillip thought. Total denial.**

**He had all the information he needed, though. He had a clear view of the situation. And he knew what he had to do now.**

**"I'll leave so you can get some rest," he said to Poppy, and patted her hand. It felt very cool and fragile, full of tiny bones like a bird's wing. "See you later."**

**He slipped out of the house without telling anyone where he was going. Once on the road, he drove very fast. It only took ten minutes to reach the apartment building.**

**He'd never been to James's apartment before.**

**James answered the door with a cold, "What are you doing here?"**

**"Can I come in? I've got something to say."**

**James stood back expressionlessly to let him in.**

**The "place was roomy and bare. There was a single chair beside a very cluttered table, an equally cluttered desk, and a square unbeautiful couch. Cardboard boxes full of books and CDs were stacked in the corners. A door led to a spartan bedroom.**

**"What do you want?"**

**"First of all, I have to explain something. I know you can't help being what you are-but I can't help how I feel about it, either. You can't change, and neither can I. I need you to understand that from the beginning."**

**James crossed his arms over his chest, wary and defiant. "You can skip the lecture."**

**"I just need to make sure you understand, okay?" **

**"What do you want, Phil?"**

**Phil swallowed. It took two or three tries before he could get the words out past the blockage of his pride.**

**"I want you to help my sister."**

"Oh thank God" Gillian breathed.

"That was the end of the chapter" David said, handing the book to Rashel who took it with a cold stare, just visible beneath her scarf.

"I suppose I'm going to have to take this off so you can hear me, aren't I?" She asked.

"If it's no problem" Mary-Lynette answered.

Rashel sighed and wound her scarf off of her face.

**A/N:**

**Okay, probably not my best chapter but I try :) **

**Please review, it means a lot to me! Reviews are my motivation :) **

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx **


	10. Chapter 10: Reading Chapter 9

Chapter 10: Reading Chapter 9

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. **

**All rights go to L.J Smith. **

**I own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The things in italics are Poppy's thoughts.**

"Right, Chapter 9:" Rashel read.

**"Poppy shifted on her bed.**

**She was unhappy. It was a hot, restless unhappiness that seemed to swarm underneath her skin. Coming from her body instead of from her mind. If she hadn't been so weak, she would have gotten up and tried to run the feeling off. But she had spaghetti for muscles now and she wasn't running anywhere.**

**Her mind was simply cloudy. She didn't try to think much anymore. She was happiest when she was asleep.**

**But tonight she couldn't sleep. She could still taste the wild cherry Popsicle in the corners of her mouth. She would have tried to wash the taste away, but the thought of water made her feel vaguely nauseated.**

**Water's no good. Not what I need.**

**Poppy turned over and pressed her face into the pillow. She didn't know what she needed, but she knew she wasn't getting it.**

**A soft sound came from the hallway. Footsteps. The footsteps of at least two people. It didn't sound like her mother and Cliff, and anyway they'd gone to bed.**

**There was the lightest of knocks at her door, then a fan of light opened on the floor as the door cracked. Phil whispered, "Poppy, you asleep? Can I come in?"**

**To Poppy's slowly rising indignation, he was coming in, without waiting for an answer. And someone was with him.**

**Not just someone. The one."**

"He's the one, is he Poppy?" Maggie asked teasingly.

"There's more after that" Rashel said, looking slightly miffed that she had been interrupted.

"I know" Maggie said. "So, Poppy?"

Poppy giggled. "That isn't obvious already?" She watched James, who before had looked anxious, to see he had a brilliant smile on his face. _You always doubt yourself don't you? Well, you don't need to. You're amazing, and I really couldn't love anyone else_. Poppy thought, knowing James would hear but wasn't quite ready to say all that out loud.

The smile got wider at that, if that was even possible and he sweepingly kissed her cheek.

**The one who had hurt Poppy worst of all. The betrayer. James.**

**Anger gave Poppy the strength to sit up. "Go away! I'll hurt you!" The most primitive and basic of warning-off messages. An animal reaction.**

**"Poppy, please let me talk to you," James said. And then something amazing happened. Even Poppy, in her befuddled state, recognized that it was amazing.**

**Phil said, "Please do it, Poppy. Just listen to him."**

**Phil siding with James?"**

"Wow" James exclaimed. "Never thought I'd see that happen"

Everyone laughed Poppy and Maggie the hardest. Poppy because she knew just how true that statement was and Maggie just because she seemed to find everything funny.

**"Poppy was too confused to protest as James came and knelt by her bedside.**

**"Poppy, I know you're upset. And it's my fault; I made a mistake. I didn't want Phil to know what was really going on, and I told him I was just pretending to care for you. But it wasn't true."**

**Poppy frowned.**

**"If you search your feelings, you'll know it's not true. You're turning into a telepath, and I think you already have enough power to read me."**

**Behind James, Phil stirred as if uneasy at the mention of telepathy. "I can tell you it's not true," he said, causing both Poppy and James to look at him in surprise. "That's one thing I found out from talking to you," he added, speaking to James without looking at him. "You may be some kind of monster, but you really do care about Poppy. You're not trying to hurt her."**

**"Now you finally get it? After causing all this-?" James broke off and shook his head, turning back to Poppy. "Poppy, concentrate. Feel what I'm feeling. Find the truth for yourself."**

**I won't and you can't make me, Poppy thought. But the part of her that wanted to find out the truth was stronger than the irrational, angry part. Tentatively she reached for James-not with her hand, but with her mind. She couldn't have described to anyone how she did it. She just did it."**

"Pretty cool, isn't it?" Jez asked. Morgead stared at her, shocked. "What? I can't decide that this is important, too? Go to hell, Morgead"

Morgead looked unfazed by this, as if he got that attitude every day.

Poppy decided to answer. "Yeah, it is cool"

Jez grinned widely at her, showing no fangs but looking just as menacing.

Poppy smiled back, determined not to let Jez get to her.

"Mmph" Jez exclaimed, annoyed. "You are brave"

"Can I continue?" Rashel asked.

"Sure, carry on" Thea said.

**"And she found James's mind, diamond-bright and burning with intensity. It wasn't the same as being one with him, the way she had been when they shared blood. It was like looking at him from the outside, sensing his emotions from a distance. But it was enough. The warmth and longing and protectiveness he had for her were all dear. So was the anguish: the pain he felt to know that she was hurting-,and that she hated him.**

**Poppy's eyes filled. "You really do care," she whispered.**

**James's gray eyes met hers, and there was a look in them Poppy couldn't remember seeing before. "There are two cardinal rules in the Night World," he said steadily. "One is not to tell humans that it exists. The other is not to fall in love with a human. I've broken both of them."**

"Aww" Thea and Hannah exclaimed.

"Finally, you tell her" Mary-Lynette teased.

"It's not that easy, you know" James huffed. The girls laughed.

**"Poppy was aware, vaguely, that Phillip was walking out of the room. The fan of light contracted as he half-shut the door behind him. James's face was partly in shadow.**

**"I could never tell you how I felt about you," James said. "I couldn't even admit it to myself. Because it puts you in terrible danger. You can't imagine what kind of danger."**

**"And you, too," Poppy said. It was the first time she'd really thought about this. Now the idea emerged from her muddled consciousness like a bubble in a pot of stew. "I mean," she said slowly, puzzling it out, "if it's against the rules to tell a human or love a human, and you break the rules, then there must be some punishment for you... ." Even as she said it, she sensed what the punishment was.**

**More of James's face went into shadow. "Don't you worry about that," he said in his old voice, his cool-guy voice.**

**Poppy never took advice, not even from James. A surge of irritation and anger swept through her-an animal surge, like the feverish restlessness. She could feel her eyes narrow and her fingers claw.**

**"Don't you tell me what to worry about!"**

**He frowned. "Don't you tell me not to tell you-" he began, and then broke off. "What am I doing?"**

"Yeah, James. What _are_ you doing?" Maggie said, annoyed. "I wanted more of the James-and-Poppy-show"

Hannah laughed along with most of the room. "You're really defensive Poppy" She observed. "It makes your reactions funny" She explained.

"Well, I'm going to have to be defensive, with you guys teasing me all the time" Poppy replied, trying to fight the smile threatening to curve her lips.

Hannah laughed.

**"You're still sick with the change and I'm just sitting here." He rolled up a sleeve of his windbreaker and drew a fingernail along his wrist. Where the nail cut, blood welled up.**

**It looked black in the darkness. But Poppy found her eyes fixing on its liquid beading in fascination. Her lips parted and her breath came faster.**

**"Come on," James said, and held his wrist in front of her. The next second Poppy had pounced and fixed her mouth on it as if she were trying to save him from a snakebite.**

**It was so natural, so easy. This is what she'd needed when she was dispatching Phil to get Popsicles and cranberry juice. This sweet, heady stuff was the real thing and nothing else was like it. Poppy sucked avidly.**

**It was all good: the closeness, the rich, dark-red taste; the strength and vitality that flooded through her, warming her to her fingertips. But best, better than any mere sensation, was the touch of James's mind. It made her giddy with pleasure."**

"What some people wouldn't give to bottle that stuff"Mary-Lynette said dryly.

"It's been tried" Thierry said, a dark look crossing his face for a moment.

"Well, I apologize on behalf of the human race" Maggie said solemnly, a serious expression on her face. "What?" She questioned everyone's puzzled facial expressions. "I can be serious, I only joke around some of the time" She continued.

"Okay" Hannah said. "And I also apologize" She said looking sympathetically at Thierry, holding his gaze a little longer than was probably necessary.

"It's okay, it's not like you were there" Thierry said softly, still holding her gaze. Poppy saw something flicker in his eyes; fierce determination and pleading. It was as if he was willing her to remember something, something that was important to him. It was only there for a second though, a glint of emotion. Thierry tore himself from Hannah's eyes, turning his gaze to Poppy. Poppy saw a shadow of that hopeless pleading casting a dark shutter over his expression. He looked so sad. He nodded ever so slightly, giving her a sign that her assessment had been correct. Thierry looked away from Poppy again and focused on the book in Rashel's hands replacing his somber expression with one of concentration.

Poppy, still as confused as ever, looked at James for an answer. "It's going to be in one of the books, all I can tell you is that it is very painful for him to talk about" James whispered in her ear.

Poppy nodded, shot a slightly sheepish but sympathetic glance at Thierry and let it go.

**"How could she ever have mistrusted him? It seemed ridiculous now that she could feel, directly, how he felt about her. She would never know anyone the way she knew James.**

**I'm sorry, she thought to him, and felt her thought accepted, forgiven, cherished. Held gently by the cradling of James's mind.**

**It wasn't your fault, he told her.**

**Poppy's mind seemed to be clearing with every second that went by. It was like waking up out of a deep and uncomfortable sleep. I don't ever want this to end, she thought, not really directing it at James, just thinking it.**

**But she felt a reaction in him-and then felt him bury the reaction quickly. Not quickly enough. Poppy had sensed it.**

**Vampires don't do this to each other.**

**Poppy was shocked. They would never have this glory again after she changed? She wouldn't believe that; she refused. There must be a way...**

**Again, she felt the beginning of a reaction in James, but just as she was chasing it, he gently pulled his wrist back. "You'd better not take any more tonight," he said, and his real-world voice sounded strange to Poppy's ears. It wasn't as much James as his mental voice, and now she couldn't really feel him properly. They were two separate beings. The isolation was awful.**

**How could she survive if she could never touch his mind again? If she had to use words, which suddenly seemed as clumsy as smoke signals for communication? If she could never feel him fully, his whole being open to her?**

**It was cruel and unfair and all vampires must be idiots if they settled for anything less."**

"Hey, I resent that" Morgead exclaimed jokingly.

"Morgead, you _know_ you're an idiot" Jez stated smiling innocently.

"Yeah" Morgead said, glancing back at Jez after he was sure she had turned away, a sad look crossing his face. He composed himself in seconds though, turning back to the book.

**"Before she could open her mouth to begin the clumsy process of verbally explaining this to James, the door moved. Phillip looked around it.**

**"Come on in," James said. "We've got a lot to talk about."**

**Phil was staring at Poppy. "Are you . . ." He stopped and swallowed before finishing in a husky whisper. "Better?"**

**It didn't take telepathy to sense his disgust. He glanced at her mouth, and then quickly away. Poppy realized what he must be seeing. A stain as if she'd been eating berries. She rubbed at her lips with the back of her hand.**

**What she wanted to say was, it isn't disgusting. It's part of Nature. It's a way of giving life, pure life. It's secret and beautiful. It's all right.**

**What she said was, "Don't knock it till you've tried it."**

**Phillip's face convulsed in horror. And the weird thing was that on this subject James was in perfect agreement with him. Poppy could sense it-James thought sharing blood was dark and evil, too. He was filled with guilt. Poppy heaved a long, exasperated sigh, and added, "Boys. "**

**"You're better," Phil said, cracking a faint smile.**

**"I guess I was pretty bizarre before," Poppy said. "Sorry."**

**"Pretty is not the word"**

**'It wasn't her fault," James said shortly to Phil. "She was dying-and hallucinating, sort of. Not enough blood to the brain."**

**Poppy shook her head. "I don't get it. You didn't take that much blood from me the last time. How could I not have enough blood to the brain?"**

**"It's not that," James said. "The two kinds of blood react against each other-they fight each other. Look, if you want a scientific explanation, it's something like this. Vampire blood destroys the hemoglobinthe red cells-in human blood. Once it destroys enough of the red cells, you stop getting the oxygen you need to think straight. And when it destroys more, you don't have the oxygen you need to live."**

**"So vampire blood is like poison," Phil said, in the tones of someone who knew it all along.**

**James shrugged. He wasn't looking at either Poppy or Phil. "In some ways. But in other ways it's like a universal cure. It makes wounds heal fast, makes flesh regenerate. Vampires can live on very little oxygen because their cells are so resilient. Vampire blood does everything-except carry oxygen."**

**A light went on in Poppy's brain. Dawning revelation-the mystery of Count Dracula explained. "Wait a minute," she said. "Is that why you need human blood?"**

**"That's one of the reasons," James said. "There are some ... some more mystical things human blood does for us, but keeping us alive is the most basic one. We take a little and that carries oxygen through our system until our own blood destroys it. Then we take a little more."**

**Poppy settled back. "So that's it. And it is natural..."**

**"Nothing about this is natural," Phil said, his disgust surfacing again.**

**"Yes, it is; it's like whatdoyoucallit, from biology class. Symbiosis-"**

**"It doesn't matter what it's like," James said. "We can't sit here and talk about it. We've got to make plans."**

**There was an abrupt silence as Poppy realized what kind of plans he was talking about. She could tell Phil was realizing it, too.**

**"You're not out of danger yet," James said softly, his eyes holding Poppy's. "It's going to take one more exchange of blood, and you should have it as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might relapse again. But we're going to have to plan the next exchange carefully-"**

**"Why?" Phil said, at his most deliberately obstructive.**

**"Because it's going to kill me," Poppy said flatly before James could answer. And when Phil flinched she went on ruthlessly, "That's what this is all about, Phil. It's not some little game James and I are playing. We have to deal with the reality, and the reality is that one way or another I'm going to die soon. And I'd rather die and wake up a vampire- than die and not wake up at all."**

**There was another silence, during which James put his hand on hers. It was only then that Poppy realized she was shaking.**

**Phil looked up. Poppy could see that his face was drawn, his eyes dark. "We're twins. So how'd you get so much older than me?" he said in a muted voice."**

"It's probably the near death experience but, I could be wrong" Mary-Lynette answered. She sounded like she was joking but her face said otherwise, locked in a focused expression. A few moments of this and she burst out laughing, unable to contain it. Despite the morbid topic underlying her joke, the room laughed with her, happy for the comic relief.

**"A little hush, and then James said, "I think tomorrow night would be a good time to do it. It's Friday-do you think you can get your mom and Cliff out of the house for the night?"**

**Phil blinked. "I guess-if Poppy seems better, they might go out for a little while. If I said I'd stay with her."**

**"Convince them they need a break. I don't want them around."**

**"Can't you just make them not notice anything? Like you did with that nurse at the hospital?" Poppy asked.**

**"Not if I'm going to be concentrating on you," James said. "And there are certain people who can't be influenced by mind control at all-your brother, here, is one of them. Your mom could be another."**

**"All right; I'll get them to go out," Phillip said. He gulped, obviously uncomfortable and trying to hide it. "And once they're gone ... then what?"**

**James looked at him inscrutably. "Then Poppy and I do what we have to do. And then you and I watch TV."**

**"Watch TV," Phil repeated, sounding numb.**

**"I've got to be here when the doctor comes-and the people from the funeral home."**

**Phil looked utterly horrified at the mention of the funeral home. For that matter, Poppy didn't feel too cheerful about it herself. If it weren't for the rich, strange blood coursing inside her, calming her ...**

**"Why?" Phillip was demanding of James.**

**James shook his head, very slightly. His face was expressionless. "I just do," he said. "You'll understand later. For now, just trust me."**

**Poppy derided not to pursue it.**

**"So you guys are going to have to make up tomorrow," she said. "In front of Mom and Cliff. Otherwise it'll be too weird for you to hang out together."**

**"It'll be too weird no matter what," Phil said under his breath. "All right. Come over tomorrow afternoon and we'll make up. And I'll get them to leave us with Poppy."**

**James nodded. "I'd better go now." He stood. Phil stepped back to let him out the door, but James hesitated by Poppy.**

**"You gonna be all right?" he asked in a low voice.**

**Poppy nodded staunchly.**

**"Tomorrow, then." He touched her cheek with his fingertips. The briefest contact, but it made Poppy's heart leap and it turned her words into the truth. She would be all right.**

**They looked at each other a moment, then James turned away.**

**Tomorrow, Poppy thought, watching the door close behind him. Tomorrow is the day I die."**

"Okay, that sounds worse than it actually is" Poppy said. _God, I'm such a drama queen_ Poppy thought. _I suppose I'm taking it well though, it's better than freaking out and scaring James and Phil._

**"One thing about it, Poppy thought-not many people were privileged to know exactly when they were going to die. So not many people had the chance to say goodbye the way she planned to.**

**It didn't matter that she wasn't really dying. When a caterpillar changes into a butterfly it loses its caterpillar life. No more shinnying up twigs, no more eating leaves.**

**No more El Camino High School, Poppy thought. No more sleeping in this bed.**

**She was going to have to leave it all behind. Her family, her hometown. Her entire human life. She was starting out into a strange new future with no idea of what was ahead. All she could do was trust James-and trust her own ability to adapt.**

**It was like looking at a pale and curving road stretching in front of her, and not being able to see where it went as it disappeared into the darkness.**

**No more Rollerblading down the boardwalk at Venice Beach, Poppy thought. No more slap of wet feet on concrete at the Tamashaw public pool. No more shopping at the Village.**

**To say goodbye, she looked at every corner of her room. Goodbye white-painted dresser. Goodbye desk where she had sat writing hundreds of letters-as proven by the stains where she'd dropped sealing wax on the wood. Goodbye bed, goodbye misty white bed curtains that had made her feel like an Arabian princess in a fairy tale. Goodbye stereo.**

**ouch, she thought. My stereo. And my CDs. I can't leave them; I can't...**

**But of course she could. She would have to.**

**It was probably just as well that she had to deal with the stereo before she walked out of her room. It built her up to start dealing with the loss of people.**

**"Hi, Mom," she said shakily, in the kitchen.**

**"Poppy! I didn't know you were up."**

**She hugged her mother hard, in that one moment aware of so many little sensations: the kitchen tile under her bare feet, the faint coconut smell that dung to her mother's hair from her shampoo. Her mother's arms around her, and the warmth of her mother's body.**

**"Are you hungry, sweetie? You look so much better."**

**Poppy couldn't stand to look into her mother's anxiously hopeful face, and the thought of food made her nauseated. She burrowed back into her mother's shoulder.**

**"Just hold me a minute," she said.**

**It came to her, then, that she wasn't going to be able to say goodbye to everything after all. She couldn't tie up all the loose ends of her life in one afternoon. She might be privileged to know that this was her last day here, but she was going out just like everyone else-unprepared.**

**"Just remember I love you," she muttered into her mother's shoulder, blinking back tears.**

**She let her mother put her back to bed, then. She spent the rest of the day making phone calls. Trying to learn a little bit about the life she was about to exit, the people she was supposed to know. Trying to appreciate it all, fast, before she had to leave it.**

**"So, Elaine, I miss you," she said into the mouthpiece, her eyes fixed on the sunlight coming in her window.**

**"So, Brady, how's it going?"**

**"So, Laura, thanks for the flowers."**

**"Poppy, are you okay?" they all said. "When are we going to see you again?"**

**Poppy couldn't answer. She wished she could call her dad, but nobody knew where he was.**

**She also wished she had actually read the play Our Town when she'd been assigned it last year, instead of using Cliff Notes and quick thinking to fake it. All she could remember now was that it was about a dead girl who got the chance to look at one ordinary day in her life and really appreciate it. It might have helped her sort out her own feelings now-but it was too late.**

**I wasted a lot of high school, Poppy realized. I used my brains to outsmart the teachers-and that really wasn't very smart at all.**

**She discovered in herself a new respect for Phil, who actually used his brain to learn things. Maybe her brother wasn't just a pitiful straitlaced grind after all. Maybe-oh, God-he'd been right all along.**

**I'm changing so much, Poppy thought, and she shivered.**

**Whether it was the strange alien blood in her or the cancer itself or just part of growing up, she didn't know. But she was changing.**

**The doorbell rang. Poppy knew who it was without leaving the room. She could sense James.**

**He's here to start the play, Poppy thought, and looked at her dock. Incredible. It was almost four o'clock already.**

**Time literally seemed to be flying by.**

**Don't panic. You have hours yet, she told herself, and picked up the phone again. But it seemed only minutes later that her mother came knocking on the bedroom door.**

**"Sweetie, Phil thinks we should go out-and James has come over-but I told him I don't think you want to see him-and I don't really want to leave you at night..." Her mother was uncharacteristically flustered.**

**"No, I'm happy to see James. Really. And I think you should take a break. Really.**

**"Well-I'm glad you and James have made up. But I still don't know..."**

**It took time to convince her, to persuade her that Poppy was so much better, that Poppy had weeks or months ahead of her to live. That there was no reason to stick around on this particular Friday night.**

**But at last Poppy's mother kissed her and agreed. And then there was nothing to do but say goodbye to Cliff. Poppy got a hug from him and finally forgave him for not being her dad.**

**You did your best, she thought as she disengaged from his crisp dark suit and looked at his boyishly square jaw. And you're going to be the one to take care of Mom-afterward. So I forgive you. You're all right, really.**

**And then Cliff and her mom were walking out, and it was the last time, the very last time to say goodbye. Poppy called it after them and they both turned and smiled.**

**When they were gone, James and Phil came into Poppy's room. Poppy looked at James. His gray eyes were opaque, revealing nothing of his feelings.**

**"Now?" she said, and her voice trembled slightly.**

**"Now."**

"I'm kind of scared now" Poppy admitted, shaking faintly.

"It's okay, I won't let anything happen to you" James vowed, squeezing her hand in reassurance. Poppy smiled kindly at him, she knew he meant it but there was still a chance.

"Think of it like this," Mary-Lynette started. "There's quite a lot of the book left and it's in your point of view so, you are going to be alright" She summed up smiling.

"Thanks Mary-Lynette" Poppy said.

"That was the end of the chapter" Rashel announced, passing the book to Quinn, making no eye contact with him and keeping her hand well away from his.

**A/N:**

**A day late, oh no! Haha, thanks for your patience guys it's always appreciated. **

**Yay, we made it to 30 reviews, sorry it just makes me happy that some many people enjoy my story! **

**Only 7 chapters left in this book, then onto Daughters of Darkness :)**

**Please review!**

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


	11. Chapter 11: Reading Chapter 10

Chapter 11: Reading Chapter 10

**A/N:**

**Disclaimer:**

**I don't own the concept of "The Night World" its characters or plot-lines. **

**All rights go to L.J Smith. **

**I own nothing in bold apart from the A/Ns. The things in italics are Poppy's thoughts.**

"Do I really have to read this?" Quinn asked disgusted at the idea.

"Yes, Quinn and don't start arguing, we all have to read this" Thierry said impatiently.

Ash groaned. "So I have to read next?" He asked eyeing the book.

"He just said that" Mary-Lynette said. "Or are you deaf as well as stupid?" She asked smirking at her own wit.

"I'm not stupid" Ash retorted hotly. Poppy thought she saw a shimmer of hurt on his face but it was gone so quickly she could've imagined it.

Ash looked at her and, making sure no one was looking, put a finger to his lips in a hushing motion, glaring slightly. The message was clear even though he wasn't speaking: talk about this with _anyone_ and you're dead.

Quinn sighed, bringing Poppy back to the real world. "Chapter 10:" He read.

**"Things have to be right," Poppy said. "Things have to be just right for this. Get some candles, Phil."**

**Phil was looking ashen and haggard. "Candles?"**

**"As many as you can find. And some pillows. I need lots of pillows." She knelt by the stereo to examine a haphazard pile of CDs. Phil stared at her briefly, then went out.**

**"Structures from Silence . . . no. Too repetitious," Poppy said, rummaging through the pile. "Deep Forest -no. Too hyper. I need something ambient."**

**"How about this?" James picked a CD up. Poppy looked at the label.**

**_Music to Disappear In._**

**Of course. It was perfect. Poppy took the CD and met James's gaze. Usually he referred to the haunting soft strains of ambient music as 'New Age mush.'**

**"You understand," she said quietly.**

**"Yes. But you're not dying, Poppy. This isn't a death scene you're setting up."**

**"But I'm going away. I'm changing." Poppy couldn't explain exactly, but something in her said she was doing the right thing. She was dying to her old life. It was a solemn occasion, a Passage."**

"That makes sense" Hannah said. "I'd do that if it was me" She continued.

Poppy smiled at Hannah kindly then noticed Thierry's tortured expression next to her. _Whenever something about dying is mentioned Thierry looks at Hannah. It's as if he has seen her die or something._

Thierry looked at her, sorrow, anger and a deep ever-present consuming pain clear on his face and nodded gravely.

_So I'm right_ Poppy thought with an internal gasp. _But how is that even possible when she's sitting right next to you?_ She asked mentally.

In response he looked at James. James nodded and leaned down to whisper in Poppy's ear. "Thierry told me to tell you that it's sure to come up in his book" His breath tickled at her ear with his words. "He also told me to tell you he's impressed with your perceptiveness, as am I" James finished a small smile on his face when Poppy protested as he leaned back into a normal sitting position.

This scene went unnoticed by everyone and was over in a matter of seconds.

**"And of course, although neither of them mentioned it, they both knew she might die for good. James had been very frank about that-some people didn't make it through the transition.**

**Phil came back with candles, Christmas candles, emergency candles, scented votive candles. Poppy directed him to place them around the room and light them. She herself went to the bathroom to change into her best nightgown. It was flannel, with a pattern of little strawberries.**

**Just imagine, she thought as she left the bathroom. This is the last time I'll ever walk down this hall, the last time I'll push open my bedroom door.**

**The bedroom was beautiful. The soft glow of candlelight gave it an aura of sanctity, of mystery. The music was unearthly and sweet, and Poppy felt she could fall into it forever, the way she fell in her dreams.**

**Poppy opened the closet and used a hanger to bat a tawny stuffed lion and a floppy gray Eeyore down from the top shelf. She took them to her bed and put them beside the mounded pillows. Maybe it was stupid, maybe it was childish, but she wanted them with her.**

**She sat on the bed and looked at James and Phillip.**

**They were both looking at her. Phil was dearly upset, touching his mouth to stop its trembling. James was upset, too, although only someone who knew him as well as Poppy did would have been able to tell.**

**"It's all right," Poppy told them. "Don't you see? I'm all right, so there's no excuse for you not to be."**

**And the strange thing was, it was the truth. She was all right. She felt calm and clear now, as if everything had become very simple. She saw the road ahead of her, and all she had to do was follow it, step by step.**

**Phil came over to squeeze her hand. "How does this how does this work?" he asked James huskily.**

**"First we'll exchange blood," James said-speaking to Poppy. Looking only at her. "It doesn't have to be a lot; you're right on the border of changing already. Then the two kinds of blood fight it out sort of the last battle, if you see what I mean." He smiled faintly and painfully, and Poppy nodded.**

**"While that's happening you'll feel weaker and weaker. And then you'll just go to sleep. The change happens while you're asleep."**

**"And when do I wake up?" Poppy asked.**

**"I'll give you a kind of posthypnotic suggestion about that. Tell you to wake up when I come to get you. Don't worry about it; I've got all the details figured out. All you need to do is rest."**

**Phil was running nervous hands through his hair, as if he was just now thinking about what kind of details he and James were going to have to deal with.**

**"Wait a minute," he said in almost a croak. "When-****_when_**** you say 'sleep'-she's going to look ..."**

**"Dead," Poppy supplied, when his voice ran out.**

**James gave Phil a cold look. "Yes. We've been over this."**

**"And then-we're really going to-what's going to happen to her?"**

**James glared.**

**"It's okay," Poppy said softly. "Tell him."**

**"You know what's going to happen," James said through clenched teeth to Phillip. "She can't just disappear. We'd have the police and the Night people after us, looking for her. No, it's got to seem that she died from the cancer, and that means everything's got to happen exactly the way it would if she had died.**

**Phil's sick expression said he wasn't at his most rational. "You're sure there isn't any other way?"**

**"No," James said.**

**Phil wet his lips. "Oh, God."**

**Poppy herself didn't want to dwell on it too much. She said fiercely, "Deal with it, Phil. You've got to. And remember, if it doesn't happen now it's going to happen in a few weeks-for real."**

**Phil was holding on to one of the brass bedposts so hard that his knuckles were pale. But he'd gotten the point, and there was no one better than Phil at bracing himself. "You're right," he said thinly, with the ghost of his old efficient manner. "Okay, I'm dealing with it."**

**'Then let's get started," Poppy said, making her voice calm and steady. As if she were dealing with everything effortlessly herself.**

**James said to Phil, "You don't want to see this part. Go out and watch TV for a few minutes."**

**Phil hesitated, then nodded and left.**

**"One thing," Poppy said to James as she scooted to the middle of the bed. She was still trying desperately to sound casual. "After the funeral-well, I'll be asleep, won't I? I won't wake up ... you know. In my nice little coffin." She looked up at him. "It's just that I'm claustrophobic, a little."**

James chuckled. "Of all the things to be scared about then, you choose claustrophobia"

"It's why they're called irrational fears" Poppy said laughing with him.

**"You won't wake up there," James said. "Poppy, I wouldn't let that happen to you. Trust me; I've thought of everything."**

**Poppy nodded. I do trust you, she thought.**

**Then she held her arms out to him.**

**He touched her neck, so she tilted her chin back. As the blood was drawn from her, she felt her mind drawn into his.**

**Don't worry, Poppy. Don't be afraid. All his thoughts were ferociously protective. And even though it only confirmed that there was something to be afraid of, that this could go wrong, Poppy felt peaceful. The direct sense of his love made her calm, flooded her with light.**

**She suddenly felt distance and height and depth spaciousness. As if her horizons had expanded almost to infinity in an instant. As if she'd discovered a new dimension. As if there were no limits or obstacles to what she and James could do together.**

**She felt ... free.**

**I'm getting light-headed, she realized. She could feel herself going limp in James's arms. Swooning like a wilting flower.**

**I've taken enough, James said in her mind. The warm animal mouth on her throat pulled back. "Now it's your turn."**

**This time, though, he didn't make the cut at his wrist. He took off his T-shirt and, with a quick, impulsive gesture, ran a fingernail along the base of his throat.**

**Oh, Poppy thought."**

All of the girls in the room giggled.

"Is that all you were thinking, Poppy?" Gillian asked smirking slightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Poppy replied innocently, aiming for her best poker face.

Mary-Lynette raised her eyebrow at that. Poppy managed to keep her poker face for about another thirty seconds before she burst out laughing.

Quinn groaned. "Can I read now?"

"No one was stopping you" Rashel replied. "We just wouldn't have listened"

Quinn shot her a dirty look and Rashel smiled back sweetly.

**"Slowly, almost reverently, she leaned forward. James's hand supported the back of her head. Poppy put her arms around him, feeling his bare skin under the flannel of her nightgown.**

**It was better this way. But if James was right, it was another last time. She and James could never exchange blood again.**

**I can't accept that, Poppy thought, but she couldn't concentrate on anything for very long. This time, instead of clearing her brain, the wild, intoxicating vampire blood was making her more confused. More heavy and sleepy.**

**_James?_**

**_It's all right. It's the beginning of the change._**

**Heavy ... sleepy ... warm. Lapped in salty ocean waves. She could almost picture the vampire blood trickling through her veins, conquering everything in its path. It was ancient blood, primeval. It was changing her into something old, something that had been around since the dawn of time. Something primitive and basic.**

**Every molecule in her body, changing ...**

**_Poppy, can you hear me?_**** James was shaking her slightly. Poppy had been so engrossed in the sensations that she hadn't even realized she wasn't drinking any longer. James was cradling her.**

**_"Poppy."_**

**It was an effort to open her eyes. "I'm all right. Just ... sleepy."**

**His arms tightened around her, then he laid her gently on the mounded pillows. "You can rest now. I'll get Phil."**

**But before he went, he kissed her on the forehead.**

**My first kiss, Poppy thought, her eyes drifting shut again. And I'm comatose. Great.**

**She felt the bed give under weight and looked up to see Phil. Phil looked very nervous, sitting gingerly, staring at Poppy. "So what's happening now?" he asked.**

**"The vampire blood's taking over," James said.**

**Poppy said, "I'm really sleepy."**

**There was no pain. Just a feeling of wanting to glide away. Her body now felt warm and numb, as if she were insulated by a soft, thick aura.**

**"Phil? I forgot to say-thank you. For helping out. And everything. You're a good brother, Phil."**

**"You don't have to say that now," Phil said tersely. "You can say it later. I'm still going to be here later, you know."**

**But I might not be, Poppy thought. This is all a gamble. And I'd never take it, except that the only alternative was to give up without even trying to fight.**

**I fought, didn't I? At least I fought.**

**"Yes, you did," Phil said, his voice trembling. Poppy hadn't been aware she was speaking aloud."**

"But I wasn't speaking out loud" Poppy said confused.

"No you weren't" Thierry said a thoughtful look crossing his face.

Poppy looked at James and saw the same sort of expression on his.

_What is it?_ She asked mentally, still confused.

"We need more to work on" He answered simply and kissed her forehead in reassurance.

**"You've always been a fighter," Phil said. "I've learned so much from you."**

**Which was funny, because she'd learned so much from him, even if most of it was in the last twenty-four hours. She wanted to tell him that, but there was so much to say, and she was so tired. Her tongue felt thick; her whole body weak and languorous.**

**"Just ... hold my hand," she said, and she could hear that her voice was no louder than a breath. Phillip took one of her hands and James the other.**

**That was good. This was the way to do it, with Eeyore and her lion on the pillows beside her and Phil and James holding her hands, keeping her safe and anchored.**

**One of the candles was scented with vanilla, a warm and homey smell. A smell that reminded her of being a kid. Nilla wafers and naptime. That was what this was like. Just a nap in Miss Spurgeon's kindergarten, with the sun slanting across the floor and James on a mat beside her.**

**So safe, so serene ...**

**"Oh, Poppy," Phil whispered.**

**James said, "You're doing great, kiddo. Everything's just right."**

**That was what Poppy needed to hear. She let herself fall backward into the music, and it was like falling in a dream, without fear. It was like being a raindrop falling into the ocean that had started you.**

**At the last moment she thought, I'm not ready. But she already knew the answer to that. Nobody was ever ready.**

**But she'd been stupid-she'd forgotten the most important thing. She'd never told James she loved him. Not even when he'd said he loved her.**

**She tried to get enough air, enough strength to say it. But it was too late. The outside world was gone and she couldn't feel her body any longer. She was floating in the darkness and the music, and all she could do now was sleep."**

Poppy felt James tense beside her. Instantly, instinctively, her hand reached up to caress his cheek in comfort. Their eyes locked and Poppy saw his fears and worry slowly melt from his eyes.

**"Sleep," James said, leaning dose to Poppy. "Don't wake up until I call you. Just sleep."**

**Every muscle in Phil's body was rigid. Poppy looked so peaceful-pale, with her hair spread out in coppery curls on the pillow, and her eyelashes black on her cheeks and her lips parted as she breathed gently. She looked like a porcelain baby doll. But the more peaceful she got, the more terrified Phil felt.**

**I can deal with this, he told himself. I have to.**

**Poppy gave a soft exhalation, and then suddenly she was moving. Her chest heaved once, twice. Her hand tightened on Phil's and her eyes flew open but she didn't seem to be seeing anything. She simply looked astonished.**

**"Poppy!" Phil grabbed at her, getting a handful of flannel nightgown. She was so small and fragile inside it. "Poppy!"**

**The heaving gasps stopped. For one moment Poppy was suspended in air, then her eyes closed and she fell back on the pillows. Her hand was limp in Phil's.**

**Phil lost all rationality.**

**"Poppy," he said, hearing the dangerous, unbalanced tone in his own voice. "Poppy, come on. Poppy, wake up!"-on a rising note. His hands were shaking violently, scrabbling at Poppy's shoulders.**

**Other hands pushed his away. "What the hell are you doing?" James said quietly.**

**"Poppy? Poppy?" Phil kept staring at her. Her chest wasn't moving. Her face had a look of-innocent release. The kind of newness you only see in babies.**

**And it was-changing. Taking on a white, transparent look. It was uncanny, ghostlike, and even though Phil had never seen a corpse, he knew instinctively that this was the death pallor.**

**Poppy's essence had left her. Her body was flat and toneless, no longer inflated by the vital spirit. Her hand in Phil's was slack, not like the hand of a sleeping person. Her skin had lost its shine, as if somebody had breathed on it softly.**

**Phil threw back his head and let out an animal sound. It wasn't human. It was a howl.**

**"You killed her!" He tumbled off the bed and lurched toward James. "You said she was just going to sleep, but you killed her! She's dead!"**

**James didn't back away from the attack. Instead, he grabbed Phil and dragged him out into the hallway.**

**"Hearing is the last sense to go," he snarled in Phillip's ear. "She may be able to hear you."**

**Phil wrenched free and ran toward the living room. He didn't know what he was doing, he only knew that he needed to destroy things. Poppy was dead. She was gone. He grabbed the couch and flipped it over, then kicked the coffee table over, too. He snatched up a lamp, yanked its cord out of the socket, and threw it toward the fireplace.**

**"Stop it!" James shouted over the crash. Phil saw him and ran at him. The sheer force of his charge knocked James backward into the wall. They fell to the floor together in a heap.**

**"You-killed her!" Phil gasped, trying to get his hands around James's throat.**

**Silver. James's eyes blazed like the molten metal. He grabbed Phil's wrists in a painful grip.**

**"Stop it now, Phillip," he hissed.**

**Something about the way he said it made Phil stop. Almost sobbing, he struggled to get air into his lungs.**

**"I'll kill you if I have to, to keep Poppy safe," James said, his voice still savage and menacing. "And she's only safe if you stop this and do exactly what I tell you to. Exactly what I tell you. Understand?" He shook Phil hard, nearly banging Phil's head into the wall.**

**Strangely enough, it was the right thing to say. James was saying he cared about Poppy. And weird as it might sound, Phil had come to trust James to**

**tell the truth.**

**The raging red insanity in Phil's brain died away.**

**He took a long breath.**

**"Okay. I understand," he said hoarsely. He was used to being in charge-both of himself and of other people. He didn't like James giving him orders. But in this case there was no help for it. "But-she is dead, isn't she?"**

**"It depends on your definition," James said, letting go and slowly pushing himself off the floor. He scanned the living room, his mouth grim. "Nothing went wrong, Phil. Everything went just the way it was supposed to-except for this. I was going to let your parents come back and find her, but we don't have that option now. There isn't any way to explain this mess, except the truth."**

**"The truth being?"**

**"That you went in there and found her dead and went berserk. And then I called your parents-you know what restaurant they're at, don't you?"**

**"It's Valentino's. My mom said they were lucky to get in."**

**"Okay. That'll work. But first we have to clean up the bedroom. Get all the candles and stuff out. It's got to look as if she just went to sleep, like any other night."**

**Phil glanced at the sliding glass door. It was just getting dark. But then Poppy had been sleeping a lot these last few days. "We'll say she got tired and told us to go watch TV," he said slowly, trying to conquer his dazed feeling and be clearheaded. "And then I went in after a while and checked on her."**

**"Right," James said, with a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes.**

**It didn't take long to clear out the bedroom. The hardest thing was that Phil had to keep looking at Poppy, and every time he looked, his heart lurched. She looked so tiny, so delicate-limbed. A Christmas angel in June.**

**He hated to take the stuffed animals away from her.**

**"She is going to wake up, isn't she?" he said, without looking at James.**

**"God, I hope so," James said, and his voice was very tired. It sounded more like a prayer than a wish. "If she doesn't you won't have to come after me with a stake, Phil. I'll take care of it myself."**

Poppy gasped pain seeping into her chest at the thought of James dying. "Is that true, if I died right now you'd find a way to die too?" She asked. James didn't look up but fixed his eyes on the floor, head bowed. "James, answer me" She continued in a soft, agonized whisper.

"Yes, it's true" He replied lifting his head to reveal the pain in his eyes.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ think like that James." Poppy said, the tears flowing freely now.

"I meant it when I said I can't let you go. How could I even live another day if you weren't there?" James asked lifting her chin and wiping away the tears. "You are the only good thing left in me, I lose you and that, I lose myself" He continued the pain a dark cloud overshadowing his normally bright eyes. *** **

"I understand, really, I do. But you can't do that James; you can't kill yourself for me" Poppy said trying to compose herself. Then she remembered his last sentence and she frowned. "You're not a bad person James, please believe that" She finished willing him to see sense.

James sighed and closed his eyes. Poppy rested her head on his shoulder and hugged his waist. "Please" She breathed, looking back at his face. James eyes stayed closed for another few seconds. Poppy waited anxiously. When James's eyes finally opened again the pain had disappeared from his eyes and a small smile was playing on his lips.

"Okay" He answered and kissed her cheek lightly.

**"Phil was shocked-and angry. "Don't be stupid," he said brutally. "If Poppy stood for anything-if she stands for anything-it's for life. Throwing your life away would be like a slap in her face. Besides, even if it goes wrong now, you did your best. Blaming yourself is just stupid."**

"Yes, it is" Poppy said. James nodded.

**"James looked at him blankly, and Phil realized they'd managed to surprise each other. Then James nodded slowly. "Thanks."**

**It was a milestone, the first time they'd ever been on precisely the same wavelength. Phillip felt an odd connection between them.**

**He looked away and said briskly, "Is it time to call the restaurant?"**

**James glanced at his watch. "In just a few minutes."**

**"If we wait too long they're going to have left by the time we call."**

**"That doesn't matter. What matters is that we don't have any paramedics trying to resuscitate her, or taking her to the hospital. Which means she's got to be cold by the time anybody gets here."**

**Phil felt a wave of dizzy horror. "You're a coldblooded snake after all."**

**"I'm just practical," James said wearily, as if speaking to a child. He touched one of Poppy's marble white hands where it lay on the bedspread. "All right. It's time. I'm going to call. You can go berserk again if you want to."**

**Phil shook his head. He didn't have the energy anymore. But he did feel like crying, which was almost as good. Crying and crying like a kid who was lost and hurt.**

**"Get my mom," he said thickly.**

**He knelt on the floor beside Poppy's bed and waited. Poppy's music was off and he could hear the TV in the family room. He had no sense of time passing until he also heard a car in the driveway.**

**Then he leaned his forehead against Poppy's mattress. His tears were absolutely genuine. At that moment he was sure he'd lost her forever.**

**"Brace yourself," James said from behind him. "They're here."**

Poppy sighed sadly. "This is going to be hard" James squeezed her hand in comfort and smiled kindly.

"We're here for you Poppy" Hannah said warmly. Thea, Mary-Lynette, Gillian, Maggie, Eric, David, Thierry, Galen and Keller all nodded.

"Thanks guys" Poppy said thickly.

"Well, that was the end of the chapter, thank God" Quinn said and handed the book the Ash with a smug look on his face.

Ash's answering smile was sickly sweet and dripping with menace.

**A/N: Please read and sorry it's long…**

**Sorry its late guys, I had lots of school work and a big distraction that came in the form of Kellin Quinn, Justin Hills, Gabe Barham, Jesse Lawson and Jack Fowler. For those of you who don't know who these people are they're from a band called Sleeping with Sirens. I went to see them on Thursday and, in true SWS fashion, it was amazing. So, sorry for the delay and I hope you can forgive me for this one and the upcoming one. I'm going on a school trip all of the school week starting the 20****th**** so I won't be able to write then. I'll try and get some done that weekend but nothing is promised. Thanks for all the encouraging reviews though, it means a lot! **

*** "You're the only good thing left in me." Line from The Left Side of Everywhere ~ Sleeping with Sirens :) **

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**

**UPDATE: PLEASE READ!**

**Right guys, I have recently checked my story stats, reviews, favorites and such. A Community this story has been put on, points out people's stories that break the FanFiction rules and conditions - Entries not allowed: 3 .MST: comments inserted in between the flow of a copied story (because lizza16 asked how I was violating the rules). After reading this and the T&C's again I realize, stupidly, that they are in fact completely right. :( **

**I don't know what to do guys, if I leave it on and continue doing what I love to do, it's gonna stay in that Community and I'm a stickler for the rules! On the other hand, if I discontinue this story I'm gonna be letting you lovely, loyal reviewers/favorites/followers/just general viewers down. *Sigh* **

**Any suggestions? Whatever I decide, no one hate me please, I'm really grateful for your support. I'm currently working on a story that is inspired by a song, AshxMary-Lynette. If I discontinue this, not saying that I will, I'm still undecided and you like my work then I will post that up. **

**So, as you can see, that kind of put me down a few pegs today. Sorry if you saw I had updated and thought I'd continued, my apologies. **


	12. AN and Epilogue

A/N and Epilogue

**A/N MUST READ **

**Someone get me a tissue, I'm about to get emotional.**

**After a LOT of debating in my head, I have come to the conclusion to discontinue this story. I know I promised various people (particularly Candy777) I would continue and I shouldn't have started the story if I wasn't going to finish it but before you all curse me to Tartarus, hear me out. **

**I have been battling with my heart and my head for a few weeks now. My heart has been telling me to continue this story and not to let your outrageously supportive fans down while my head has been telling me to discontinue this story and to be aware of copyright laws and FF rules and guidelines.**

**I am sorry for letting you guys down. I know I personally hate it when writers don't finish their stories, so I can guess how you're feeling. **

**I would however like to wrap this story up properly, I owe you guys that much.**

**Individual thanks to reviewers and anything else I'd like you to read will be in the A/N at the end.**

**On with the epilogue…**

Before Ash had the chance to make a snide comment about having to read, a letter yet again fluttered from the ceiling and into Thierry's lap.

Thierry picked it up and read it out to everyone, a shocked expression forming on his face.

"_Dear all,_

_This isn't going to work is it? You've all got so emotionally attached to the storyline of this book, you're not focusing on the bigger picture. We gave you the books to help you deal with the worst to come, but we can see now that it will be too much._

_We will send you home with no memory of this encounter. Your lives will continue as the books proclaimed, so you're not getting out of it I'm afraid._

_Your anonymous messenger"_

Murmured protests and exclaims of delight were heard around the room.

"But, I've made so many new friends, I can't just…"

"What? I'll actually become a vampire?"

"Oh, thank God, that was starting to get nauseating"

A bright white flash of light stopped their chattering and they all went their separate ways.

"Poppy, I think you should stop staring at me, it's kinda creepy" James said, chuckling.

Poppy socked him on the arm. "Shut up" She said, laughing too. "C'mon, we'd better hurry up or my Mom will kill me for being late"

"I'll race you" James said with a grin as he jogged up the path.

Poppy laughed again, wasn't there something we were meant to do? There was something niggling at the back of her mind, something she'd forgotten…

**A/N:**

**So guys again, sorry. I will be continuing my A Match Into Water story, so check that out.**

**Individual thanks to reviewers on FF (First reviewer to last):**

**_StarrPrincessCupcake21_****: Thank you for being my first reviewer, and thanks for reviewing again later :) **

**_loonyraelovegood: _****Thank you for getting an account just to follow this, sorry that all means nothing now. Thanks anyway :)**

**_PurpleDancinFairy_****: Thank you for reviewing :)**

**_Candy777_****: I've already apologized to you so, yeah.**

**_ AngelicVampireGirl_****: Thank you for the compliment on your first review and I'm glad you thought their emotions were on point :)**

**_TheRealDarlaCooper_****: Thank you for reviewing, love your profile pic by the way :) **

**_xoxstorii-gurrlxox_****: Thank you for reviewing and sorry you can't read anymore, thanks for liking the idea :) **

**_Shamidreamer86_****: Thanks for reviewing, sorry you won't get to read your favourite.**

**_trinigyal123_****: Thanks for reviewing, love the pic, I totally agree :)**

**_readitlearnitloveit_****: Thanks for reviewing and giving it a chance :) **

**_18cookies_****: Sorry you can't read Daughters of Darkness but thanks for reviewing :)**

**_ Anoni Mos666_****: Thanks for reviewing, just a random question, you listened to Feel (the album, not just the song) yet? It's amazing :)**

**_VanillaDreamFran_****: Thanks for reviewing, thanks for the compliment :)**

**Ones who aren't on FF (First reviewer, to last):**

**Guest 1: Thank you :)**

**Laura: Oh, I'm not that good but thanks :)**

**Guest 2: Sorry, all the books will not be done, thanks for reviewing though :)**

**Guest 3: Thanks :)**

**Guest 4 (Grace): I can apologize all I want, okay? (She's a friend, so she won't get offended)**

**Guest 5: Thank you :)**

**Guest 6: Thank you :)**

**Guest 7: Sorry, thanks for reviewing though :)**

**Allaya: Thank you :)**

**Guest 8 or 9, I don't know: I hope it's still your favorite, sorry. Thanks for reviewing though :)**

**Guest 9 or 10: Thanks for reviewing :)**

**triplet3: Thanks for reviewing. I love AshxMary-Lynette too; maybe go check out my other story with them in, nudge nudge wink wink :)**

**jessieee: Thanks for reviewing :)**

**lizza16: Thanks for reviewing, sorry I can't continue. **

**Guest 10 or 11: Sorry, thanks for reviewing :)**

**Wow, loads of smile's. Sorry for letting you guys down, I love you all. **

**For the last time on THIS story,**

**xForbiddenLoveBitesx**


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